Harmony of White Roses
by RosieShiba
Summary: So much for a quiet afterlife for the five ghosts of Shinji Manor when a new family moves into the abandoned house. Now Paul, Dawn, May, Drew, Misty and Rusty the ghost dog, must stop the house from taking more lives. IkariShipping!
1. The House

**Harmony of White Roses**

**Ash Ketchum moves into his new house with his mother and new family, however Ash soon realises that having 'the gift' isn't so good and is plagued by a number of resident phantoms that dwell there. **

**Not really spooky more like a mature version of Casper… Yeah. So no need to worry about getting a spare set of undies. **

**Pairings: Ikarishipping later on, AshxOC, mild OldRival and Contest and slight one-sided Poké. Not really a love story so to speak, not even spiritual. **

**The title is weird, I know but poetic… sort of. Hehe.**

**It's set in present day England… Somewhere… Yeah you can tell this story has been really thought about can't you? **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon**

**Chapter One: The House**

The house had been abandoned for over fifty years, yet there was always a hustle and bustle about it. No one lived there anymore, even if it was a beautiful house. It was impressive. There were three floors, high windows and archways and fancy carvings in the stonework. It was a really impressive house when all said and done. It was large and was built like a three sided square with vast grounds around it. Over the years the grounds had become like a wilderness rather than the kept gardens it used to be. Then again, the house was abandoned in the 1940's.

Everything had gone wrong for the house. No one even dared go near it anymore just in case something went awfully wrong.

Yet, in the early morning of a Tuesday, the house was full of noise as the occupants went about their daily routine.

"Andrew," screamed a brunette girl wearing a knee length beige skirt with a brown blouse. She stormed down one of the corridors of the house, looking for the guy in question. She eventually found him floating above the old dinning table.

Yes, the house was occupied but no one lived there.

The brunette glared up at a green haired boy wearing breeches, boots and jacket. He was mindlessly floating a few feet in the air with his hands behind his head, apparently dozing.

"Where did you put it?" the girl screamed.

"Put what?" Andrew asked innocently.

"My photo frame! Where is it?" the girl shrieked.

"Now, now, May," came a new voice. A girl with orange hair appeared through the ceiling. She floated through the plaster head first, obviously hearing the argument between the two others. May, the brunette, folded her arms. She had gone into sulk mode now. The red haired looked at Andrew.

"Drew," she said, "Please tell May where you put her photo frame."

"Sorry, Misty," Andrew replied, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

May let out a frustrated sigh before she zoomed up through the ceiling. Misty turned to Drew, scowling at him. She was wearing a long, stripped dress with a piece of material hanging round her hips. She had a brass necklace round her neck with similar style earrings in her ears. Drew sat up, smirking.

"Don't you believe me, Misty?" he asked, "Well, that hurts."

"Where is it?" Misty snapped.

"It's just a stupid portrait," Drew said with a shrug, "Of a dumb guy. You'd think after fifty years she'd have let go."

"Well, unlike me or you," Misty said, "She's only had fifty years, not two hundred and fifty years to get over it."

There was a pause while Drew thought this over. In the mean time another girl appeared in the room. She was checking round the room for something. She had midnight blue hair and was wearing a black dress with a white apron. She looked at the two others.

"Have you seen Rusty?" she asked.

"Sorry, Dawn," Misty replied, "But no."

"Where is the dumb animal, I wonder," Drew commented. Dawn looked around for a few seconds before fading through the floor. Misty let out a sigh.

"I will find that portrait," Misty warned, "And then I will knock you around a bit."

"A portrait?" Dawn's voice echoed. A few seconds later, Dawn's head appeared out of the floor. "You mean May's photo frame? I saw it in the library, next to the bookshelf."

"Thanks, Dawn," Misty said with gratitude in her tone.

"Yeah, thanks Dawn," Drew snapped, rolling his eyes. Dawn disappeared once more. Misty looked up at Drew before gliding over to him. He gulped as she grabbed hold of his foot.

"Now for my daily dose of fun," Misty remarked as she pulled a screaming Drew through a wall.

Paul idly flicked through a book as he petted a rust coloured dog in his lap. The purple haired teen looked as sad and morose as he usually did. The book was his sister's who had left it in her room a long time ago. He had read it quite often, yet there were no signs of wear or tear anywhere. He didn't even flinch as Drew's yells echoed through the empty house. The dog in his lap looked up suddenly. A few seconds later Dawn slowly and cautiously rose from the floor boards. She glanced the rust coloured spaniel on Paul's lap before disappearing once more through the floor boards. Paul pretended not to notice her. He merely turned the page of the book as if there was nothing there. Rusty glanced up at Paul before barking. Paul raised his arm and the ghost dog went scurrying off after Dawn.

After a few moments, Paul closed the book and got out of his chair. He strolled to the small window that looked out over the grounds of the house. A few seconds later Dawn and Rusty appeared outside. Dawn was throwing a shoe for Rusty to chase after. The dog had a thing for footwear. Paul couldn't fathom it. Paul was wearing a black pair of tailored trousers with a dress shirt. He leant on the wall beside the window, looking out over the grounds and watching Dawn and Rusty.

"Good morning, Paul," May greeted him as she drifted through the floor, "Have you seen-"

"No," Paul snapped.

"But you don't-"

"Your photo frame," Paul replied.

"Oh, OK then. Bye," May disappeared through the floor again. A few seconds later, Drew screamed once more like he was in horrible pain. It was never as bad as it sounded. Paul rubbed his eyes. So much for a quiet afterlife.

Something caught his attention. It was sudden and strange, but he knew at once that something wasn't quite right in the house of theirs. Rather, his. He was the one who had the most claim on the house, not the other three. The dog came a close second. Paul walked to the other side of the room to where there was another small, circular window. He looked out of it to see what had got attention. A car was coming up the drive way.

Paul looked at the machine in a confused sort of way. It looked strange compared to the cars he had seen in the past. Then again, the last time he had seen a car it was 1944. Time sure did pass for the living. Paul watched as the car stopped outside the house and a family of five filtered out onto the gravel. Three of them had purple hair.

Joy, it was a family reunion.

The other four, well three, would come to him in a few minutes asking what was going on. Dawn would go to investigate the moment the dog ran off. Paul let out a sigh and walked back to his seat.

So people were coming back to the house were they? Now that couldn't be good. Paul picked up his sister's diary and turned to a page labelled the 15th August 1908. Paul read the opening few lines: _It's Paul, my brother. He's dead._ A chill would have gone up anyone's spin but not Paul's. Paul looked up, thinking to himself. He needed those people out of the house not because he wanted the house to himself. He didn't mind it when people lived there. People didn't bother them usually until one of them died. That would happen again. When ever people came into this house, their life expectancy was somewhat reduced.

"Paul," Misty's voice snapped as she rose out of the floor boards with Drew's foot in her hand. "There's people here."

"I noticed," Paul replied, feigning disinterest. Drew, who was hanging up side down with his arms crossed, looked annoyed that they had visitors.

"Dropping by without sending a warning or anyone to get the house ready? What bad manners for the family," Drew muttered, "No respect for the great families."

May drifted through the floor, holding her photo frame close to her chest. She looked worriedly at the other three.

"If people have come here once more, it means everything's going to start again. That's not good at all," May said. Misty and Drew nodded in agreement.

"We'll keep an eye on them," Paul said, "Until the time comes."

"OK," the three chorused. Paul closed the book in his hand and put it on the small table beside his chair. The other three eyed it carefully. None of them had ever seen what was written in that book. It was a great mystery to them. Paul glared at them as they crept closer to the table. They instantly shrunk away.

"May, keep an eye on Dawn," Misty said suddenly, "No doubt she'll stumble on them and get us into some mess."

"OK," May said with a nod before fading from view. Misty let go of Drew. He floated the right way up and waited for some instruction.

"We should have a look at them," Misty said, "To make sure they are OK. The last thing we want is an exorcist."

"Yeah," Drew agreed. The two looked at Paul to see what he was going to do. He flicked his hand and they decided it was best for them to leave. Paul got to his feet again and walked to the front window.

Ash Ketchum, aged fourteen, had no idea that the house in front of him was as old as it was. He looked at it in excitement. This was going to be awesome. The new house was going to be the best place in the world, not to mention he had a brand new life to begin in a new place.

"Hey, Ash," he younger step-sister said as she walked towards him, hands behind her back, "You like the house?"

"It's amazing!" Ash yelled making her laugh. Ash smiled at his new step-sister. She was only a few months younger than him. She had long purple hair to the middle of her back with coal black eyes and pale skin. She was wearing a pair of jean shorts with a purple tank top and some purple converse. Her hair was up in a pony tail. Being quite the tom boy, she rarely wore anything different from her usual sports gear.

"I told you so," she teased, "But nooooo, you said it would stink worse than Reggie's cooking."

"Hey," their older brother complained as he climbed out of the car. Reggie was seventeen years old. He had shoulder length purple hair which was tied up in a ponytail. Vi and Ash laughed as Reggie walked over to them, hands on his hips. He was smiling so they weren't in too much trouble. "So do you two like it here?"

"It looks awesome," Ash stated. Vi nodded in agreement.

"You know, no one's lived here in over fifty years," Reggie said, "It could be a little run down once we get inside."

"No sweat," Ash said proudly, "I bet I can survive any way."

"Where did we get the house anyway?" Vi asked, ignoring Ash completely.

"It used to be grandfather's house," Reggie explained, "But after the war, he moved out. Something about it being haunted or something."

"Haunted?" Vi asked worriedly. She was terrified of ghosts. She clung onto Ash's arm for protection.

"Wow," Ash commented, ignoring the fact that his step-sister was shaking while she hung onto his arm, "That's amazing."

"It is," Reggie agreed, "Maybe once the house is OK we could call in Most Haunted or something."

"Yeah!" Ash yelled.

"Calm down, Ash," his mother snapped as she walked around the car to get a few things out of the boot. She smiled at his perkiness.

"Sorry, mom," Ash said. Delia Ketchum had married Harold Shinji about three months ago, although the family had been together for about two years. Harold had been divorced for around ten years likewise Delia had been the same for four years. The three teens got on very well with each other. Vi and Ash went to the same school and were in the same classes while Reggie was a few years above them. He was currently in college.

Harold walked to stand by his new wife, smiling at the three teens.

"So you like it here, huh?" Harold asked.

"Yeah," the three teens shouted. Delia winced at the noise. She shook her head. Harold was just as bad as they were.

"Have you any idea what state the house is in?" Delia asked her husband. Harold shook his head. He had no clue. Delia let out a sigh.

"Why did people suddenly leave here, dad?" Vi asked, finally letting go of Ash's arm. She looked hopefully at her father as he thought over the answer.

"Dad always said he left because it was no place to raise a child," Harold said, "There were a fair few deaths here. In the war, an evacuee died right in front of him. I guess that's why he left."

"Are there any ghosts?" Reggie and Ask asked. Vi squeaked as her father nodded. Delia shook her head, not believing this at all.

"That's so cool!" Ash yelled.

"Dad said that there are five ghosts in the house," Harold went on to explain, "There's a steward, a gypsy girl, a dog and a maid."

"Wow," Reggie stated, "That's quite a collection."

"That's not all," Harold went on, "Dad also said that my great uncle was a ghost."

"Huh?" Reggie and Ash asked, confused.

"You mean a relative ghost is in this house?" Reggie asked. Harold nodded.

"Pretty cool, eh?" Harold replied.

"No it's not!" Vi yelled, latching onto Delia, "It's horrible. Tell them Delia. It's horrible!"

"It's just a story," Delia replied, "There's no such things as ghosts."

"Yes, dear," Harold said while rolling his eyes. Reggie and Ash chuckled as Harold was hit over the head by Delia.

"Now let's have a look inside," Reggie said to Ash. Ash nodded and the teens walked towards their new home.

**So new story from me :) Just a note, I am trying to get a blog up and running so I shall be putting pictures and stuff on that. Also there will be polls and other treats such as sneak peaks and writer updates so go and have a nosey. I know fanfic doesn't like links but... **

**It is: rosieshiba-plotfairycomehome . blogspot . com, so please go and have a look. It's still early days but I shall stick to it!**

**Also a poll will be going up on fanfic so you can decide when I should update this fic. This will be a once per week update fic I'm afraid.**

**So I've rambled enough :) Please review me! And check out my blog!**

**RSx**


	2. The Residents

**Thanks to splitheart1120, LuckyTigger, RaveOn21now22 and DarkAngel for reviewing! And thanks to everyone who voted on the poll. This fic will be updated on… Saturday! Now on with Chapter Two!**

**Chapter Two: The Residents**

Dawn peered round the door as she heard two people enter through the front doors. One was a shorter boy with ebony hair. The other was tall and looked almost like Paul. She gasped. The ebony guy looked round at her gasp, wondering what had made a noise. Dawn blinked a few times before hiding behind the door frame. This is what set off the dog no doubt.

"Wow," the older boy said, "It's in pretty good shape."

"Yeah," the younger said. He seemed distracted by something. Slowly he began walking to where Dawn was hiding.

"Ash?" the other boy asked. Ash peered round the door frame to find nothing was there. Dawn thanked her powers to fall through solid objects. That boy was creepy.

"I think your dad was right," Ash said to his companion, "This place is haunted alright."

"Really?" the other boy asked, "How do you know?"

"Mom always said dad could see things that weren't there," Ash explained, "He used to see people all the time. It used to annoy my mom so much."

"Is there anything here?" the boy asked. Ash looked around a few times before shaking his head.

"Everything's gone back to normal," Ash replied. Ash looked round again as he heard something else.

"He can see us," Dawn thought as she floated through a wall near to the two boys. She hid behind the taller boy so that Ash wouldn't see her. In all her years as a ghost, she had never known someone see her. They could hear her, but never see her. Not even when she walked through them could they see her. They just went a little cold.

Dawn glanced up to see that Drew and Misty were stood on the balcony, looking down at the two boys. Oh dear, this was going to be bad. Ash slowly looked up at the balcony. He saw the two ghostly figures stood staring at him. His jaw dropped for one second then the next he was smiling.

"I see them," Ash told the other boy, "There's two on the balcony."

"Who's he talking about?" Drew asked Misty. Misty shrugged. The boy's companion looked up but didn't see anything.

"What are they doing?" he asked.

"They're just stood looking at us," Ash explained, "I don't know what they want though."

"What do they look like?" the boy asked.

"Well… they look old," Ash described, "The boy has weird puffed trousers and boots with a smart long jacket while the girl has a long dress and a weird belt around her waist. She must be the gypsy girl."

"Those two people sound like freaks," Drew commented. Dawn rolled her eyes.

"It's you they're talking about, morons," Dawn snapped, loosing her temper suddenly, "He can see you."

Ash jumped a mile as Dawn yelled. He fell on his bum, staring intently at his companion.

"Ash? What's wrong?" he asked worriedly.

"Reggie, there's one stood behind you," Ash said.

"Stop that," Reggie said, "You can't make me jump so easily."

Reggie laughed to himself for a few seconds until Dawn got annoyed. She put her hand on his shoulder making the teen suddenly fall silent. The boy went rigid before howling and jumping next to Ash. Ash saw Dawn stood looking terribly annoyed at Reggie's behaviour.

"Now that is slightly strange," Drew said as he walked over the banister and tiptoed to the floor. He eyed Ash carefully.

"Ash, this is strange," Reggie said, "It's creepy. Let's get out of here."

"I don't think they're going to hurt us," Ash told Reggie, "They're curious."

"Curious?" Reggie asked.

"Jeez, he moans a lot," Drew said, "More like a poltergeist than a teenager."

"Just like you then," Misty remarked as she glided towards Dawn. Drew shot Misty a glare. "He can hear us too?"

"Seems that way," Dawn agreed. The two of them stared at Ash for a few seconds before Reggie let out another yelp. Drew was poking the purple haired teen in the arm.

"Drew, quit it," Misty snapped, hitting Drew over the head with her fist. Ash began laughing.

"Chill out, Reggie," Ash told his step brother, "They're quite funny."

"Funny?" Drew asked, raising an eyebrow at Ash, "I'd choose your words very carefully if I were you, kid. I can haunt you for the rest of your days."

"You don't have the attention span for that," Misty told him.

"Shut up," Drew retorted. Misty giggled before she glided round the two boys.

"This is very interesting," Misty said, "After all these years there has been no one and then along comes a seer. How curious."

"A seer?" Drew asked, "Oh no, not them! They're so weird!"

"A seer?" Dawn asked, curious to what one was. Misty nodded.

"A seer can see spirits," Misty replied, "They usually take it upon themselves to make ghosts go onto the next life."

"However," Drew interrupted her, "We can't do that, can we?"

"Nope," Misty replied, "We're trapped here forever."

"Trapped forever with you and May," Drew said, "Sounds like hell to me."

Misty whacked him round the head once more. Ash smiled at the two, but his attention slid onto his mother, step-father and step-sister as they entered the house.

"What are you two doing?" Delia asked her son.

"There's ghosts about," Reggie told her. Delia clicked her tongue.

"There's no such things as ghosts," Delia told them, "Stop this horrible charade. You're scaring Vi."

The three ghosts slowly looked at the girl. She had gone pale and was shaking. Dawn slowly floated round her, confused at her outfit.

"Is she a girl or a boy?" Dawn asked.

"Girl," Ash replied making everyone look at him. Ash rubbed his head nervously. "I mean, girls. They get so scared over nothing."

"Are you saying I'm a wuss?" Vi snapped. Ash chuckled as he got to his feet.

"Seriously, Vi," Ash told his sister, "Ghosts can't hurt you."

"Sister?" Drew asked as he floated round Vi, "She looks nothing like you. How strange."

"Drew," Misty moaned, "Let's leave them in peace. We'll have plenty of time to get to know them."

Drew nodded before he floated out of the room. Misty and Dawn floated away after him, leaving Ash to gaze round at the room at last. He was used to seeing ghosts. They had long since stopped scaring him. He'd first noticed ghosts when he was five but didn't really understand what they were until he was eight. Since then, he'd grown used to the fleeting glimpses of ghosts on a daily basis.

Ash was soon assigned a room. It was large, dirty and very dusty. Reggie was a few doors down while Vi was across the hall. Armed with a black bag, a brush, bucket full of water and a cloth, Ash began work getting his room into some sort of order. He didn't like tidying his room normally but the mess in this room was beyond what he could live with.

Ash was scrubbing the wall fiercely when Drew's head popped out of the spot he'd just been cleaning. Ash gave an alarmed yell before he fell backwards onto the floor. Drew chuckled before floating into the room fully. The ghost boy looked around at Ash's attempts at cleaning.

"Wow," Drew said, "I forgot how nice this place could be."

"You didn't have to scare me you know," Ash told Drew. Drew shrugged and began floating around the room. Ash let out a sigh. "So, what do you want?"

"I'm just interested in what you're doing," Drew replied, "It's been a while since I saw live humans. People tend to stay clear of this house you know."

"I could tell," Ash muttered under his breath. Drew floated to the floor and began walking round the room. Ash watched the ghost boy with interest. "Why don't you fall through the floor?"

"What do you mean?" Drew asked.

"When you're walking around, why don't you fall through the floor?" Ash repeated. Drew looked at his feet and shrugged.

"I'm not sure," Drew replied, "I don't feel the floor under me, I guess I just judge it right. Paul can walk on the floor though and Dawn can sometimes."

"Paul?" Ash asked, crossing his legs and leaning forwards slightly in interest.

"There's five of us here," Drew explained, "Misty, May, Dawn, Paul and me. We also have a pet dog. If your shoes go missing then Rusty has them."

"So you just float around the house all day then?" Ash explained.

"We have our usual routines," Drew replied, "Dawn goes outside a lot. Paul stays to his room most of the time reading that book of his."

"Book?" Ash asked, "I didn't realise ghosts could pick up a book and read it."

"We each have an object that we can move," Drew explained, "May has a photo frame, Paul has his book, Misty has this crystal thingy and I of course have my flute."

"Flute?"

"I used to play when I was living," Drew said quickly.

"Doesn't Dawn have anything?" Ash asked. Drew shrugged.

"Never found what it is," Drew replied.

"Stop annoying him, Drew," Misty emerged from the ceiling upside down. Ash glanced at her, noticing that her hair was defying gravity. Shaking the thought from his head, Ash got back to his feet.

"I'm not annoying him," Drew replied, "I'm telling him about the house."

"It's all very interesting," Ash agreed, "I can't wait to meet May and Paul."

"You won't meet Paul," Misty told Ash, "He stays to his room."

"Where's that?" Ash asked. Misty shook her head.

"Not telling, I don't want him to get mad," Misty replied.

"Is he like your leader?" Ash asked.

"It is his house," Drew explained, "So it's only natural we think of him that way."

"Can I talk to you in a while?" Ash asked, "I want to write some of this down but I need to clean. Is that OK?"

"Sure, we'll be floating around," Drew replied. Misty and Drew floated out of the room. Ash smiled and returned to his cleaning.

**Don't forget to review and tell me your thoughts. I will update again on Saturday!**

**RSx**


	3. The Living

**There's a storm afoot here so I'm updating as soon as I can XD I love storms!**

**Anyway, thank you to: DarkAngel, an anonymous reviewer, AikoAkahana, splitheart1120, LuckyTigger, AnimxLuver4Ever, Foxgrl18 and RaveOn21now22. **

**Just to answer a question from Dark Angel. Rusty's object is anything shoe-ish so Dawn can play catch with him. I doubt dogs have a sense of ownership so they take any shoe they want. Rusty also likes Drew's shoes. I hope that makes sense. **

**Also, Dawn's object is hidden but will be revealed in future chapters. **

**Caution: There's death in this chapter or explanation into how someone died so just a heads up.**

**Chapter Three: The Living**

"They're not dangerous," Misty was telling Paul later that day as the five ghosts gathered in Paul's room. They were currently discussing their new house guests. Drew didn't seem all that bothered about the family, neither did Dawn or Misty, but May was fretting slightly.

"But… This means we'll have to stay out of their way!" May wailed, "Keep quiet otherwise they might try to get rid of us."

"I doubt that," Drew said.

"The younger boy can see us," Dawn told May, "But he doesn't seem frightened by us."

"He's interested in us, that's all," Drew said, "He wants to know more about us."

"But what if he decides he's fed up of seeing us?" May squeaked. Paul rolled his eyes. He was sat in his usual chair looking slightly annoyed at May.

"What do you think, Paul?" Misty asked Paul. Paul thought for a few seconds before he let out a breath.

"We'll have to wait and see what happens," Paul finally said, "They just want to live here then there's no reason to worry. We should only worry if strange things start to happen."

"That's true," Misty agreed.

"So we should keep an eye out?" Drew asked. Paul nodded.

"If there's anything strange going on, we need to get those people out of here," Paul told the ghosts, "In the mean time, we shouldn't get in their way too much."

"Right," the four others agreed.

"If we become a nuisance then they may attempt to get rid of us," Paul went on, "So we should avoid that."

"But what to do about the boy who can see us?" May asked, "It's weird and freaky."

"Some people can see ghosts," Paul replied with a note of disinterest in his tone.

"But of all the people to come here after all the years," May went on. Paul rolled his eyes.

"It is a little strange," Drew agreed, "What are the odds?"

"I'm sure it will be fine," Dawn said, "I mean they do seem pretty nice. Just don't get Ash into trouble too much, Drew."

"I won't," Drew replied.

~G~

Drew looked at Ash with an expression of curiosity. The boy was writing in many different colours but there was only one pen. Drew craned his neck to look at the paper. Since when was paper lined? It looked strange.

"So how long have you been able to see ghosts?" Drew asked.

"Since I was five," Ash replied.

"Why do your brother and sister look so different to you?" Drew asked.

"They're my step-brother and sister," Ash explained, "They're not related to me. My mum married their dad you see."

"Oh… right," Drew commented.

"Do you remember how you died?" Ash asked.

"Sickness," Drew replied simply, "I got cholera when I fell into a lake."

"How did the others die?"

"Mist was drowned, Paul was murdered, Dawn had an accident and May was blown up," Drew counted off on his fingers. Ash looked puzzled for a few seconds.

"That's a range of deaths," Ash muttered. He quickly scribbled this down in his note book. Drew looked over the boy's shoulder to make sure everything was correct. "And do your objects have anything to do with your deaths?"

"Not really," Drew shrugged, "I think it's more to do with what's special to you in life than death."

"And can I touch your objects?" Ash asked. Drew nodded. Ash jotted this down. "Do you sleep?"

"Never."

"Wash?"

"We can't get dirty or smelly."

"Move objects?"

"Paul can," Drew said, "He's a weird ghost."

"What do you mean?" Ash asked.

"Well," Drew began, "It was something that happened to him when he was turned into a ghost. He was traumatised by his own death because… well, let's not get into that, but then he developed his powers so he could move objects and people. I don't know the limit of what he can do."

"So is he dangerous?" Ash asked. Drew shook his head.

"He keeps to his room," Drew replied, "Wouldn't hurt anyone."

"That's good to know," Ash said feeling a little relieved, "I'd hate to think we were in danger."

"We're ghosts," Drew told Ash, "Not walking zombies who would eat your brains."

"I guess," Ash agreed with a shrug. Drew floated up towards the ceiling.

"You should get some sleep," Drew said, "Long day tomorrow with the whole moving in gig and everything."

"Question," Ash said, raising his hand, "If you've been a ghost for a long time, how do you know all the modern ways of speaking."

"Because," Drew replied, "I used to only be able to watch people so I picked up whatever they said. Be careful if you come across Paul. He'll use old words to spite you."

"OK," Ash yawned, "Good night."

"Night, kid," Drew said before he floated out of the room. Drew found himself in one of the servant's rooms. Drew looked from wall to wall before he looked down at the floor.

"How did I die?" Drew muttered to himself, "I can still feel the pain…

"_What is the prognosis, Doctor?" Drew's worried father asked the doctor with a note of panic and fear in his voice._

"_It does not look good," the doctor replied. Drew looked weakly at his father but his eyes felt heavy. His stomach was cramping so much. It hurt. His skin felt so tight. It was almost too hard to breath. "He will not live much longer."_

"_But, sir," Drew's father said getting to his feet, "Have you not done everything you could for him? Is there not some other potion you can give him?"_

"_No," the doctor replied, "I have very little idea how this boy became infected with this disease. Nothing from London has been received here."_

"_Is the disease known in London?" Drew's father asked. The doctor nodded. _

"_Stay with the boy and cherish his final hours on this earth before God takes him," the doctor snapped before leaving. Drew's father walked towards Drew's bed and sat down._

"_It will be fine, my son," he said softly, "You shall grow stronger and get well."_

_Drew slowly closed his eyes and fell into a slumber. When he awoke a few hours later he felt fine. He sat up in bed and looked round the room._

"_Father," Drew said excitedly, "It is as you said. I feel better than before." _

_The door of the room slowly opened. Drew's smile slowly faded as he saw Bertha, another maid from the house, along with the stable keeper walking into the room. Bill was a big fellow since he worked with the horses most of the day. He walked over to Drew's bed where something was covered by the blanket. Bill gently picked what ever it was up. A hand slipped out of the blanket and hung limply. Drew let out a yell as he realised that it was him under the blanket. He would know his own hand anywhere._

"_Be careful with the boy," Bertha scolded the stable keeper, "Let him rest in peace."_

"_Aye," Bill replied, "Tis such a shame."_

"_No, wait!" Drew yelled but neither of the adults listened. Drew watched as they left the room. He fell to his knees. "Why me? WHY ME!"_

"Drew?" May's concerned tone made Drew look at her. She offered him a small smile. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I guess I'll be fine," Drew said, "I guess I can't do anything about it know."

"Did you speak to the boy?" May asked. Drew nodded. "Did he reawaken what shouldn't have been?"

"Yeah," Drew replied, "But like I said. I can't do anything about it now."

Drew glided up through the ceiling with May following behind. She was concerned about the green haired ghost even though he would never believe her sincerity. How awful it must have been for him to wake up without another soul to talk to. May had had it easy when she died. She had the others to help her. Drew had no one. Drew floated round the attics of the house where he came upon his flute. He began playing it while Misty and May watched him, delighted in the melody.

Paul on the other hand was stood on the top of the house, leaning against one of the chimneys. Rusty was by his side like a good dog would be. The sound of Drew's flute wafted through the air. Well this was going to spook the new residents. Music playing late at night? Paul made a mental note to tell Drew not to do that anymore.

"Oh," a girl's voice gasped. Paul didn't have to look round to know it was Dawn. She was hiding behind another chimney further down the roof. "Sorry, I didn't know you were here."

"It's fine," Paul replied. In truth, he didn't really mind her company. She was scared of him and there was a good reason for that. Dawn drifted further towards Paul but still kept a distance. She kept quiet too, knowing that Master Paul didn't like to be disturbed.

"It is strange that until May we were in pairs," Paul said suddenly.

"May did have a pair, sir," Dawn replied, "But he decided to leave."

"True," Paul agreed, "Foolish boy."

"Do you hate him for leaving?" Dawn asked.

"Hmm?" Paul said. After a few seconds he shook his head. "Most people are scared. He left so that he could escape knowing that if he left the grounds of this house all he had to do was wait until the sun rises and it would be over."

"Have you ever thought about leaving?" Dawn asked.

"No," Paul replied. Dawn nodded, smiling.

"Neither have I, sir," she said, "So we shall remain here as a family until time ends. This makes me happy."

Rusty barked in agreement with the sentiment. Paul looked over the horizon thinking about the world outside. While it was true there was a lot to see, Paul didn't miss any of it. There were so many wonders in this old house and its grounds, there was no reason to leave. Now with the living were back in the house, there were more fun times ahead of them.

For Brendan Birch, life was to tempting, death was too scary. For the rest of them, the afterlife was home.

**So a bit more insight into Drew. There will be more chapters on how the other ghosts came to be… apart from Rusty because no body knows and I don't speak dog. Sorry. So now I'm going to ride out the storm. **

**Remember: Rocket Academy tomorrow! Wooo! Oh and yeah, please review.**

**RSx**


	4. The Breakfast

**It is Saturday so that means online one thing: Update time! Thank you to Foxgrl18, lolol, splitheart1120, DarkAngel, AikoAkahana, AnimeLuver4Ever, lightwolfheart and LuckyTigger for reviewing. You people are great!**

**Chapter Four: The Breakfast**

Ash woke up the next morning feeling oddly refreshed. He got out of his makeshift bed, i.e. an air bed, and got ready for the day. He yawned slightly as he walked down the stairs to the dinning room.

"I tell you, there was a flute playing last night," Reggie was telling Delia, but Delia wasn't having any of it. Vi, who was sat eating her cereal in silence, looked up at Ash as he entered the room.

"Did you hear it?" Vi asked. Ash looked confused.

"Hear what?" he questioned.

"The flute that was playing last night?" Reggie asked.

"Really?" Ash said, "No. It's probably Drew. He did say he had a flute."

"One of the ghosts?" Reggie asked. Ash nodded. Vi looked mildly disturbed but interested all the same.

"Yeah," Ash replied, "He said that he used to play the flute when he was alive and kept it with him. Also, mum, if you see a weird photo frame which looks like it's from the forties, don't throw it. It belongs to May."

"Like I'm going to believe that," Delia snapped.

Ash was about to reply when he saw Drew walk across the room carrying the photo frame in his hand. Drew seemed oblivious to the four people sat there.

"Now where should I hide it today?" Drew asked, before he looked up at the old creaky chandelier hanging above the table. Drew floated up to it and hid the photo frame amongst the wires. The four people below him gawked at him. Only one could see him but the others were following the photo frame as it magically floated by itself. Drew turned round and looked down at the family.

"Oh… I didn't see you," Drew stated before he floated down to Ash. Ash's jaw had dropped. "What's wrong?"

"What are you doing?" Ash yelled suddenly making the rest of his family jump.

"Hiding May's photo frame. It is eight thirty you know," Drew told Ash.

"Ghost!" Vi yelled before she hurriedly ran from the room. Drew sweat-dropped.

"Oh yeah, I forgot," Drew said, "Well, til later, dude."

Drew sank through the floor boards leaving the remaining three people in stunned silence. Delia slowly turned to Ash, smiling at him in an odd way.

"So there are ghosts?" she asked. Ash and Reggie nodded slowly. Delia let out a sigh. "You are so your father's son."

Ash rubbed his head for a few seconds until he realised he heard barking. That must be the ghost dog Drew had told him about. Sure enough the next second a rust coloured dog was running through the room, barking loudly. It zipped round the room nimbly before floating off into the next room. Ash sweat-dropped.

Not two seconds after that did Misty zoom through the room.

"Drew! You're so double dead!" she yelled, followed by May.

"Where's my photo frame, Drew!" May shrieked.

Ash let out a sigh. As his brother and mother went back to breakfast, still a little jumpy about what had just happened with the photo frame. If only they saw the rest of the show. Ash took another step towards the table but jumped back in alarm as Drew's head emerged through the floor boards.

"Do not tell May," Drew told him before disappearing again. Ash held his chest as his heart beat returned to normal. He slowly sat down on an old, creaky chair.

"This won't do," Delia said, "What if the ghosts stop the people from cleaning and delivering everything?"

"I can tell them if you want," Ash suggested. Delia looked a little relieved and nodded. Suddenly she stopped.

"Wait, how many are there?" she asked. Ash sweat-dropped.

"There's five plus one dog," Ash replied.

"Five… plus one… dog?" Delia repeated slowly. Reggie watched his new mother curiously as a weird smile spread on her face. The rest of her features froze. She turned from the table in a few jerky movements before she began walking from the room. Reggie turned to Ash.

"She seems to be taking it rather well," Reggie commented. A few seconds later there was a loud scream from out of the hallway. Both boys couldn't help it. They began laughing like maniacs.

Paul walked down the stairs from the attic wondering what on earth had screamed like a banshee. He idly walked down the halls, noticing the various piles of new items from the family. He paused as he saw a young girl sorting out a few things from a pile in the hall way. She looked strange, Paul thought. She was wearing shorts and a t-shirt. She looked down at her stuff proudly before she stood back up, holding out a poster of some band. Paul rolled his eyes and continued on his way. He didn't pay attention to much else, not even Misty attempting to impale Drew on candlestick just outside the dinning hall.

He walked to the entrance hall where two boys were stood putting down sheets. Paul walked up to them wondering what they were doing.

"There's no point putting these down," Paul stated, "Everything's a mess as it is."

"Wah!" Ash yelped before jumping away from Paul. Paul eyed the boy for a few seconds. This must be the one who could see him.

"You OK, Ash?" the other boy asked. Ash nodded slowly. "Another ghost popped up?"

"Yeah," Ash said as he rubbed his head. Ash looked Paul up and down. Paul wore a smart looking suit. The purple hair, the black eyes, there was no doubt, this was Paul. "Can I help you?"

"I thought I heard a banshee," Paul stated.

"That was my mum," Ash explained, "Sorry if it disturbed you."

"DREW! GET BACK HERE NOW!" Misty and May roared from another room. Drew flew into the room at top speed with Misty and May not far behind him. They both managed to pin Drew onto the floor. He was wriggling, they were attacking him. Dawn floated in after a few seconds, holding Rusty in her arms.

"Please calm down you two," Dawn was saying as she tried to defuse the situation. Paul looked at Ash once more before he walked over to his fellow ghosts. He stood beside Dawn, much to her surprise. "Master Paul, I hope they didn't disturb you too much. I'm sorry I couldn't quieten them sooner."

"It's no worry," Paul told her, "I just happened to be having a look around."

"Where's my photo frame?" May asked as she tugged at Drew's hair. Drew yelped in pain.

"Stop being an idiot, Drew," Misty snapped at him.

"Get off, get off, get off!" Drew was yelling. Paul rolled his eyes before flicking his hand. The three ghosts were flung backwards in a sudden gust of wind. Reggie and Ash looked around confused to what had caused the sudden wind. Ash's eyes fell onto Paul who had his hand outstretched. The ghosts who had been fighting were now darted around the room. The dog in Dawn's arms barked before it jumped free and floated towards the ghosts. It licked Drew's face before going over to May and doing the same thing to her. Misty slowly sat up, rubbing her head. She suddenly froze as she saw Paul.

"Oh… Paul… Er…" she stuttered. At the mention of Paul the other two shot up. They exchanged worried looks before looking back at Paul.

"Please try to remember we are no longer alone in this house so these shenanigans can not continue, is that clear?" Paul said calmly.

"Sorry, Paul," the three ghost chorused. The dog barked too. Paul turned on his heel and walked back up the stairs leaving the four ghosts staring after him.

"Wait," Ash said suddenly. Paul stopped at the top of the stairs and looked back at Ash. The other ghosts, even the dog, looked back at him. "Sorry, it's just that there's going to be cleaners and delivery men coming in and out of here over the next few days. I hope they won't disturb you."

"Fine," Paul said before continuing on his way.

"So that was Paul, huh?" Ash muttered to himself. Reggie looked at Ash in a confused way.

"Paul?" Reggie asked.

"Sorry, yeah," Ash replied rubbing his head, "Do you want to go and tell mum that it's useless putting down these sheets? They're just going to get stuck to people shoes."

"Sure," Reggie said. He put down the sheet and sprinted off to find Delia. Dawn floated towards Ash.

"You have met Master Paul," Dawn told him. Ash nodded.

"Ow," Drew moaned, "How come the only thing in the afterlife that hurts is when Paul does something like that?"

"I'm surprised he even came downstairs," Misty said, "Usually he's just up in the attic."

"How embarrassing," May said, "Being tossed around by Paul in front of a seer."

"You must be May," Ash said, "I'm Ash."

"Hello, Ash," May replied, "That's true, I am May."

"So I've finally met all of you?" Ash asked. Misty nodded. Dawn looked round the room to where Paul had left. She drifted across the room and disappeared through the wall.

"What's with her?" Ash asked.

"Paul must want something," Drew replied, "They're a weird pair."

"Why?" Ash asked.

"Well… The rest of us never met each other until we died," Drew explained, "But Dawn used to work for Paul's family. She used to be a maid."

"And that's sort of fed through to the afterlife," Misty added, "They don't tend to talk. But Paul doesn't really talk anyway."

"So you're finally getting cleaners in?" Drew asked as he zoomed round Ash, "Well it's about time. You know you should've sent them in before you even got here."

"I suppose so," Ash replied rubbing his head, "But mum and Harold wanted to see what they could do with it first."

"I guess that's a good point," Drew admitted.

"Well you should tell people to stay out of the attic," Misty told Ash, "Also there's a few storage rooms that will need some care to get into. You may need a lock smith."

"I'll tell mum," Ash said, "Thanks."

Ash went to gather up the sheet he and Reggie had been working on when he paused and looked at May.

"Drew hid your photo frame in the chandelier in the dinning room," he told her.

"You snitch!" Drew yelled.

"Thanks Ash," May said before she flew out of the room. Misty looked at Drew with an evil glint in her eye. Drew had only a few seconds to glide out of the way before Misty pounced. Ash laughed as the two ghost fell through the floor boards. Not such a bad start to the day after all.

**So, hopefully that was a bit more fun than the last chapter. Ash has finally met Paul and Reggie and Delia have seen the ghosts. What will happen next? Well, sorry you'll have to wait until next Saturday for an update. If you want more, check out my blog :)**

**Don't forget to review!**

**RSx**


	5. The Gypsy

**It is Saturday and sorry this is a bit later than I thought it would be. But hey, it's still Saturday.**

**Thanks to Foxgrl18, AikoAkahana, RaveOn21now22, splirheart1120, AnimeLuver4Ever, lightwolfheart and LuckyTigger for being lovely and reviewing the last chapter!**

**Now on with this one:**

**Chapter Five: The Gypsy**

Misty couldn't help but feel like she missed the travelling especially on warm summers days like this one. The soft afternoon breeze rustled through her translucent body, bringing the sweet smell of summer to her nostrils. She loved the outdoors. It had been how she was raised. To cherish the earth, to seek out its splendours for that's why the Lord gave man feet. Feet were made for travelling. Eyes were made for seeing. The nose was made for smelling. Everyday a new sight and a new smell. She'd grown to cherish it.

Now in her after life, Misty was trapped in the one place. She felt like running some days and trying to escape but it was no use. She was trapped to this one place.

_The village hated gypsies even though they didn't cause any harm. They would throw things at the carriages and yell abuse at them. In return the children would go and steal their apples from the orchards so their parents could make sweet cider. _

Misty could almost hear the jeering now as she sat on top of the roof. How strange time came to pass. While the new family were having the whole house cleaned and refurbished, the ghosts had decided to spend more time outside or in the attics. They didn't want to get in the way or put up with the noise. In just a few weeks time the house would be back to normal again. Back to its former glory. Misty smiled at this. The house was such a treasure and should be well treated.

Gone were days when there were big parties and grand dinners. Misty remembered that on the night of her death there was a grand party.

_They'd asked for a fortune telling from the gypsies and Misty was chosen to go. When she got to the house, however, something more sinister was waiting for her. Instead of seeing ladies, there were only men. They laughed and picked fun of her until she could bear it no longer and she ran from the room, into the garden. She found solitude by the pond until a few ladies walked by her. Misty was pushed head first into deep pond. She couldn't swim in such cold water. She asked the ladies for help but they scoffed and walked back into the house. _

_Her arms and legs began to grow numb from the cold as she attempted to swim to the side. It worked in reverse. She pushed herself backwards instead of forwards. She cried and spluttered until her head went under. No strength in her body to push her head up to the surface. A few minutes later and it was all over. _

_Misty finally managed to float to the surface. She glided to the side of the pond and hauled herself out of the cold water. She noticed her clothes were instantly dry and her hair was too. Slowly she turned to the pond to see her body floating peacefully in the depths. She screamed and screamed until her lungs ached from the pressure. _

_The next morning they found her and carried her off the scene. Her body was returned to her parents but she did not see her funeral. They say she was cremated in the fields before her family left for good. Funny how the drown girl was burnt to ash. _

Misty wiped a tear from her eye. She was suddenly aware that there was someone stood close to her. She looked up to see Paul resting on a chimney.

"Good afternoon, Paul," she greeted, "Did they disturb you?"

"I got fed up of the whistling," Paul stated. Misty giggled slightly at his tone. She straightened up.

"I remember days like this," she told Paul with an air of elderly wisdom. Paul glanced down at her. "We used to play in corn fields and make the most delicious treats. When mother called us for tea we would hurry because she cooked the best food in the world. She only cooked stews but they were so tasty. You could taste everything and more."

"Our guests seem to be stirring up memories," Paul said. Misty nodded.

"I guess so," she agreed. The two sat in silence for a while. "You've never let go of your death have you?"

"When we cross over from one life to the other, we see our former selves, correct?" Paul asked. Misty nodded. "What I saw was not something I should have ever seen. It was like what a surgeon would see not I."

"I'm sorry," Misty replied, "I didn't want to cause you displeasure."

"It's fine really," Paul said, "But you shouldn't dwell on these thoughts. It's not healthy."

"But you dwell," Misty snapped.

"I don't dwell, I am haunted," Paul told her before he sunk back through the tiles into the attic. Misty let out a sigh. It was true what he said. Dwelling on those thoughts were very bad for her. She smiled as she saw Dawn playing with Rusty on the garden. Misty got to her feet and walked down towards Dawn. Dawn looked up at Misty as she approached.

"Have you seen what they're doing to the house?" Dawn asked excitedly, "It looks amazing in there."

"I'm sure it does," Misty said. Dawn threw a show for Rusty to fetch. It fell amongst the weeds in the garden.

"I hope they make this garden pretty again," Dawn said, "I love it here but I wish we could tend to it."

"It would be better," Misty agreed. Dawn was always a sweet girl. She had her heart on her sleeve. She was calm and peaceful until something bad happened and she would panic. Misty remembered fondly a time in the Second World War when the bombs were falling on the village and the nearby city. Dawn was panicking about the house and worrying that they would have to live in a ruin for the rest of their days but fortunately the only bomb which landed near the house was in the garden. What was unfortunate about the bomb was that it killed May.

"We're happy here," Misty concluded to herself. Dawn glanced up at Misty with a confused expression on her face.

"Is something wrong?" Dawn asked, but Misty shook her head serenely. Dawn was still unconvinced but Misty laughed it off.

"Shall we see if there are any cute boys around?" Misty asked, "So we can torment Drew later?"

"Sure," Dawn replied. Rusty returned with his shoe to find the two girls had left him. Whining in abandonment he dropped the shoe. Dawn hastily flew back to the dog and scooped him up. The dog barked as they flew back into the house, scouting for torment fodder for Drew.

**So kind of a filler chapter here, I'm sad to say but Misty had to have her own chapter I thought. Anyway, hope that clears some things up about her.**

**Also, RaveOn21now22 asked how old the ghosts were. Answer: they're all in the form of teenagers, apart from Rusty who is a youngish dog. **

**Please review this chapter :) It makes me smile! Until next Saturday!**

**RSx**


	6. The Rose

**Hehe, no deaths in this chapter. You'll be glad to hear of it. Sorry this update is a little later than I wished. I was watching the Eurovision Song Contest so blame Graham Norton (presenter). **

**Anyway, thanks to splitheart1120, Foxgrl18, lightwolfheart, True Fan, AnimexLuver4Ever, Livin'OnAPrayer, AikoAkahana, DarkAngel and Lucky Tigger for reviewing! Thanks guys!**

**Chapter Six: The Rose**

Ash was helping clear out some of the old clutter from one of the attics. There were some really tatty bits and bobs in the old store room. So far they'd removed three tea sets, four wooden chairs, eighteen vases and three old portraits. Ash had just found another one. It was larger than the rest and was covered by a dust cloth. Ash carefully peeled back the cloth to find the portrait was one of a boy and his dog.

Ash looked at the dog carefully.

"Hey, that's Rusty," Ash said aloud. Ash scrambled to get the portrait out of the store room. He carried it awkwardly down the hallway. It was the same size as him and really quite heavy. Ash managed to get it into some open space where he tore off the dust cloth and stared at the portrait.

The boy must have been a Shinji because he had black eyes but his hair was pure white. He wore frilly clothes that looked both smart and slightly weird. His face was pale but his cheeks were rosy. Ash looked at the dog now. Sure enough, that was Rusty. He looked like a proud mutt in this picture.

"Wow, this is great!" Ash bellowed. He flinched as he heard a noise from upstairs. A few seconds later Paul emerged through the wall. He looked slightly annoyed but his expression soon changed when he saw the portrait. He walked to Ash and looked at the portrait.

"Oh, you found that did you?" Paul asked. Ash nodded.

"Who is it?" Ash inquired.

"Sir Humphrey Shinji," Paul replied, "When he was younger with Rusty."

"You've seen this before?" Ash asked.

"It used to hang in the library until it was converted for a room for evacuees in the war," Paul explained, "I guess they forgot about it."

"You want to look at more stuff?" Ash asked excitedly. Paul followed Ash back towards the store room. Ash kept pulling out bits and bobs and Paul told him what they were.

"Wow this is amazing," Ash said as he uncovered a sterling silver box. He showed Paul it. Paul's eyes widened in shock for a few seconds. "What's wrong?"

"Can you open it?" Paul asked. Ash shrugged and began trying to open it. After a few seconds Ash admitted defeat. It looked like the lock was damaged so Ash couldn't open it.

"You know what's inside?" Ash asked. Paul nodded.

"It used to be mine," Paul stated, "I kept something very precious inside of it but I didn't have a chance to pass it on to its original owner before I died."

"Oh," Ash said, "Let me see if I can open it later."

"Sure," Paul said, "I don't care about the box, just get to what's inside of it."

"What is in it?" Ash asked, "It must be worth a lot for you not to care about the box. Is it jewels? Or maybe something better than that?"

"Don't get your hopes up," Paul told Ash, "It means the entire world to someone but by your standards it's nothing."

"So you'd break this box just for a doll or something?" Ash asked, getting confused.

"The person who it belongs to is worth much more than that tacky box. Open it up and you can keep the box," Paul said, "Seeing as you appear to be in love with it."

"Hey!" Ash yelled but Paul ignored him. Paul's attention slipped onto something else. He pointed to another box on the floor. Ash quickly went to pick it up. This box was wooden with brass fittings on it. Ash found this one opened much easier. "What's that?"

Inside there was a velvet pouch. Ash carefully picked it up and poured the contents onto his palm. It was a stunning ruby necklace on a golden chain. Ash's mouth fell open.

"Wow," he commented.

"I gave that to my sister for her birthday," Paul stated, "No doubt she threw it away when I died."

"Why's that?" Ash asked.

"Never mind," Paul said, "I'll leave you to your sorting."

Paul floated through the floor boards leaving Ash on his own in the gloomy room. Ash tipped the necklace back into its pouch and put it back inside the box. With all this junk, maybe they could put on some displays and open up the house as a museum. It was big enough after all. Ash took the two boxes with him before he went searching for his mother.

Delia and Harold were sorting out some things in their bedroom when Ash entered. He knocked on the door before slipping into the room. Harold looked round at Ash, smiling.

"Oh, hi Ash," Harold greeted, "You having fun?"

"Yeah," Ash said, "Actually I had an idea."

"Really?" Harold asked. Delia straightened up to listen to her son.

"There's so much stuff in the storerooms that they left. I thought maybe we could have a museum or something in the house," Ash explained. He put the wooden box down on his parent's air bed and began to open it.

Delia gasped as she saw the ruby necklace.

"Wow," she said, "That really is beautiful."

"I found portraits and loads of other stuff that Paul seemed to know a lot about," Ash went on, "I bet with the ghost's help we could make a really good museum for them."

"I suppose we could do that," Harold agreed, "It would be nice to show people into the house once it's complete and will mean that we could charge a little to let people in."

"It is a good idea," Delia agreed, "But it will mean a lot of work."

"What's in the other box, Ash?" Harold asked. Ash looked at the other box in his hand.

"It's something Paul says is very precious to someone but he didn't say what it was," Ash replied, "I can't open it either."

"Let me have a try," Harold said, taking the box from Ash. Harold tried for a few minutes to open the box but in the end gave up. "Needs some pliers on it or something. Come back to me later with it."

"Hey, mum," Ash said, "Can I invite Leaf over?"

"Leaf?" Delia asked, "Sure when we have the house sorted a bit more."

"Great," Ash yelled, "She can draw the ghosts for you, then you can see what they look like."

Harold looked at Delia waiting for an explanation but all he got was a sigh. Ash hurried out of the room to go back up to the storeroom. Harold looked across at his new wife.

"Who's Leaf?" Harold asked.

"Ash's other step-sister," Delia replied, "She's the daughter of the person who married my ex-husband. The two of them were friends and they both can see ghosts."

"Oh," Harold said. Harold let out a chuckle suddenly. "Should I call for an archaeologist so we can catalogue these finds of Ash's?"

"Go for it," Delia replied with a smile.

~G~

"As you can see this is a piece of pottery from China dated 1850," the young looking archaeologist said as he pointed to the set of plates on the table. Ash and Vi nodded quickly.

"Actually, they are Shanghai made from 1824," Drew corrected the guy, "Note the use of gold leaf round the edges of the plate with the delicate roses in the centre of the dish."

The archaeologist moved onto a stack of wine glasses: "Now these are Victorian glass made in Warwickshire in the 1890s."

"Try again," Drew commented, "Half of those are like you said."

"The rest are crystal glasses from India, brought back by Colonel Frederick Shinji in 1901," Dawn added.

Ash looked towards the three ghosts who had decided to gate crash the meeting. Somehow, Ash knew there were going to be some arguments later. The archaeologist didn't really have a clue to what it was he had in front of him, Ash could see that quite easily. Currently, said archaeologist was looking at a small wooden box with a look of confusion on his face.

"It belonged to my mother," Paul stated, "It's made of Cherry Tree wood and was brought from the Americas in the 1700's by her great-great-great uncle who owned a sugar plantation over there."

"Oh, I know that stamp," the archaeologist stated, "It's from the Holland Plantation in America. It was a large sugar plantation that traded a lot with the UK after the war of independence."

"Didn't sugar plantations have slaves on them?" Reggie asked.

The two ghosts looked at Paul, with raised eyebrows. He merely shrugged.

"It was right at the time," he muttered, "But no, Holland took his workers from England with him. There were no slaves there at all."

"Slaves?" Vi asked, pouting, "This family was evil."

"Not as evil as the other families," Paul replied calmly, although he knew the girl couldn't hear him, "Besides, that was my mother's family. They were certainly… odd."

"I do remember Lady Holland," Dawn agreed, "She loved to bathe in mud once a month. She had it fetched from Wales especially."

"Totally barmy," Drew commented. Ash smirked as he turned to Vi.

"They're not evil," Ash explained, "Mr Holland took his workers from England."

"English workers?" Vi and Reggie asked. The archaeologist raised an eyebrow as he looked at Ash.

"They were weird religious people," Paul continued, "Who left so they could start afresh."

"Some sort of religious thing," Ash replied, "They weren't happy so left with Mr Holland to start afresh."

"How do you know all this?" the archaeologist asked. Ash froze on the spot as he tried to think of a good reply.

"You read it in a book in the old library," Paul told Ash.

"There's a book in the library," Ash replied.

"It's got all the family history in it," Paul continued.

"It had all the family history in it," Ash repeated, "It was really interesting actually. I just got onto that chapter last night."

"Wow, Paul," Drew commented, "You know how to lie."

"It's something I've never grown out of," Paul said. Drew laughed in agreement.

The archaeologist seemed to buy this and moved onto the next few items. He held up a jewellery box and opened a hidden compartment that made everyone, even the ghosts, crane forwards.

"Jewellery boxes like this aren't common but ladies used to hide things in these hidden compartments. Things like letter, like this one has," the archaeologist explained, "I think this must belong to the lady of the house."

Paul covered his ears as the archaeologist began reading some poetry from the paper. Everyone in the room cringed at the badly rhyming words and the horribly over the top metaphors about love. When the archaeologist stopped talking, Paul removed his hands from his ears.

"My father was terrible at poetry," Paul muttered, "Thankfully my mother saw past that and married him anyway."

"Jeez," Drew said, "I wouldn't keep that. I'd burn it."

"I thought it was sweet," both Dawn and Vi said at the same time. The ghosts looked at Dawn while the living guys looked at Vi.

"Sweet?" they asked at the same time. Both girls nodded.

"The way he words stuff shows that he desperately loves that woman. He wants her to be his so that he can cherish her forever," Vi replied.

"It's like rewarding a baby for scribbling," Dawn replied, "You know it's rubbish but you can't help but feel proud that it did it anyway."

"I'm glad you think that," Drew told Dawn. Dawn giggled. Unimpressed at Vi's reply, the archaeologist picked up one final item. It was a wooden carving of a rose. It looked like it had been painted white in days gone by but the paint had chipped or worn away. The rose was on a large black shield with a griffin and lion carved behind it. The words _concordiam__alba rosa__sero__canit_ were carved around the shield. Paul blinked a few times as he saw this.

"What is it?" Vi asked.

"It's the family coat of arms," the archaeologist explained, "It probably hung in the entrance hall to show all the visitors whose the house was."

"What does it say?" Reggie asked, looking at the words carefully.

"_Concordiam__alba rosa__sero__canit_," Paul said, "It means the harmony of the white rose sings late at night."

"I'm not sure," the archaeologist admitted, "But I bet Google or something could tell you."

Ash glanced across at Paul who seemed to be thinking about something. Dawn suddenly floated from her seating place and flew around the room a few times.

"I'm bored of this," she said, "I'm going to go see what May and Misty are doing."

"This person's useless," Paul muttered, "If you want correct information then come to us later."

Paul faded through the wall. Drew shrugged. Vi looked at some of the artefacts carefully, grabbing Ash before he could disappear out of the room. Ash smiled at his step-sister as she showed him the various things she liked. Drew floated down beside Ash.

"To say she looks like a guy most of the time, she's sort of cute," Drew muttered before disappearing causing Ash to look round with his jaw slightly open. Vi caught his expression when she glanced at him. Ash flushed before quickly pointing out another item. Vi found this totally confusing but smiled none the less.

**So next chapter we shall learn how Paul dies :O I'll have to get on writing more chapters of this story. I'm catching myself up :( **

**Until next Saturday! Please tell me what you think!**

**RSx**


	7. The Murder

**Thanks to LuckyTigger, splitheart1120, DarkAngel, AikoAkahana, lightwolfheart, foxgrl18 and AnimexLuver4Ever for reviewing the last chapter :) So here's the next chapter and there's a little more insight into Paul :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon :(**

**Chapter Seven: The Murder**

The whole house was quiet now, for the next few hours at least. With the cleaners and handy men gone both the family and the ghosts could get some peace. The family were sleeping in their bedrooms. It was so nice to have the peace and quiet back to the house.

Paul leant his head against the back of his chair. Three weeks. They had been here for three weeks already and nothing strange was going on at all. He had expected something to happen but there was nothing. He rubbed his head. They had found the newspapers today.

"_Why is our family now at the centre of this media circus?"_

Paul wished he could forget all those headlines and pictures but he couldn't no matter how hard he tried, they would still haunt him. The other ghosts thought he obsessed over his death but that wasn't right. The truth was that Paul couldn't help reliving it everyday. It had gotten worse over the past few weeks with the living family being right under his feet.

"_Does it matter, Paul's death? How could you be so un-feeling to your own brother's death?"_

He remembered everything about that day. After all, it was the most important day of his life or afterlife. He glanced at the diary beside him on the table.

"_I heard they found him in his bed without a face, without a body."_

"_Stop it Bettie, you're spooking me."_

The servants had a field day. They told as many people as they could about the grizzly murder of Paul Shinji in his own bed. No wonder it sparked a media blitz. His parents hated the attention into their private lives. They didn't want to be shown mourning in the tabloids. They just wanted to be left alone.

"_Paul have you seen…. MAMA!"_

Paul quickly stood up and walked around the room quickly. He felt like banging his head against the wall but it was no good. He walked over to the nearest wall and slid down it so he was sat on the floor. He buried his head into his hands.

"_Have you heard? Master Paul was murdered in his own bed!"_

"_How cruel? That boy would never hurt a fly."_

"_They say they only recognised him because of that bracelet he wears round his wrist. He was mutilated beyond recognition."_

"_Serves him right, the cheeky lad. You know he'd lie to me just to see me squirm."_

"_Mr Bronkhurst did it. They found the knife in his room."_

"_Blood was every where."_

"_We had to burn the sheets."_

"_Paul… Not my brother…"_

"_Won't you reporters leave us alone."_

"_My baby boy!"_

"_Have you seen the latest? They say Bronkhurst is mad!"_

"_Let him hang from the gallows until he's in hell for what he did to my son! That bastard deserves no better!"_

"Master Paul?"

Paul sat up, leaning his head on the wall behind him. He kept his eyes closed as his heart beat returned to normal. Too many memories were burning into his head.

"Are you feeling alright?" Dawn asked. Paul nodded a few times. "You seemed to be in some pain. Are you sure you're OK?"

"I'm fine," Paul replied, waving her off. She nodded but did not leave. She sat down opposite him, waiting until he was truly OK before she left. She knew better than to run off and leave him.

"Are you thinking about that day again?" Dawn asked softly. Paul nodded. "Please, Master Paul, try to push it to the back of your mind."

"I do try," Paul told her with a tone of exhaustion.

"It's because they found those newspapers, isn't it?" she asked. Paul nodded. She looked at the floor while playing with her dress.

"Do you remember that day?" he asked. Dawn nodded slowly.

"Vaguely," Dawn admitted, "It seemed like that week passed in a daze. I can't really remember any details."

"I remember that day like it was today," Paul stated. He didn't look at her for a few seconds. Dawn smiled a little before she turned herself around so she was leant against the wall beside Paul. She began to sing a song to him, trying to calm him down. Paul closed his eyes as she sang.

She finished the song and looked at him. He looked a little bit more peaceful. Dawn smiled at him. She moved so she could leave him.

"Dawn," Paul said as she shifted in her seat. She looked at him, wondering why he had called her back. "I sat with you after I died for a while."

"I didn't know that," she said.

"You couldn't see me," Paul told her, "You were sat in the kitchen, mending some gown or something. You were humming as if nothing was wrong."

"Sorry," Dawn muttered, bowing her head.

"Don't be," Paul said, opening his eyes, "You calmed me down."

They looked at each other for a few seconds before Dawn smiled. She got to her feet and drifted round the room. She looked out of the window.

"It's a beautiful moon tonight," she commented as she gazed out over the grounds.

"Do you think we're cursed?" Paul asked. Dawn looked round at him. She blinked a few times before she broke into a smile. She floated over towards him. She shook her head.

"I think we're blessed," she replied, "Blessed with a second chance, a second life and a new family."

Paul leant his head back against the wall. He smirked at her answer.

"Ash says his friend is coming tomorrow," Dawn told Paul, "Her name is Leaf and she's going to draw us."

"An artist?" Paul asked, "Great."

"I know you hate artists, Master Paul," Dawn giggled, "But they are better than photographers."

"That's true," Paul agreed. Dawn spun round twice, smiling.

"I feel so happy," she said, "Having a family here is so great. Especially since Ash can see us."

"How long have they been here?" Paul asked, regarding Dawn with a strange expression. Dawn's smiled disappeared as she pondered this question.

"A week," she replied uncertainly.

"Try three," Paul corrected her. Dawn looked at the floor once more. Paul got to his feet. "Please, Dawn. Enjoy it while it lasts."

"Yes, sir," Dawn muttered. She knew what he was getting at. Time had no consequence for them. It simply passed without them noticing. It's what drove other ghosts mad. Thankfully Paul had a good sense of time. He walked to the window and looked up at the moon. Dawn was right, it was beautiful tonight. He beckoned her over. She carefully glided over to him. He rose up through the roof. Dawn followed, wondering what was wrong.

"Do you see those stars there?" Paul asked, pointing up at a collection of stars that looked like a zig-zag. Dawn nodded. "It's Cassiopeia."

"That's a constellation?" Dawn asked. Paul nodded. He drew out another shape.

"That's the hydra," he went on, "In mythology it was slain by Hercules. And those over there make up Ursa Major."

"I thought it was called the big dipper," Dawn said. Paul smirked.

"It's called a lot of things," Paul said, "But I prefer to picture a bear in the sky."

He pointed to another clump of stars close to the other constellation.

"Because there is Ursa Minor," Paul went on, "Its cub."

"Awh," Dawn said, looking up at the sky with a look of awe on her face. "They're together in the sky. How nice."

Paul nodded. Dawn pointed to another set of stars.

"That's Orion, right?" she asked.

"Yes," Paul replied with a nod.

"What's that one there?"

"Taurus the bull."

"And that one?"

"A helicopter."

"Oh… My bad."

Dawn giggled nervously, waiting for Paul to call her an idiot but she was surprised to hear him laugh. He shook his head at her.

"They do tend to get in the way," he told her. She smiled.

"Tell me more, Master Paul," she said, pressing him for more answers. He nodded and began telling her about the stars. Dawn nodded, smiling all the while. She much preferred Paul when he was in a good mood.

~G~

"Leaf!"

"Ash!"

Ash ran into the arms of his childhood friend, Leaf, and swung her round. Leaf laughed as he did this. She pulled away from him before she got too dizzy. She smiled at the ebony haired teen.

"It's so good to see you," she said.

"Likewise," Ash replied. Leaf looked up at the house. It looked impressive.

"Wow," she said, "It looks awesome."

"It is," Ash told her, "Just wait until you meet everyone."

"Ah!" a voice screamed from inside the house. Ash and Leaf looked at each other before they ran inside the house to see what was wrong. One of the cleaners was talking to Delia and Harold. The cleaner looked a little wet and had suds in his hair.

"That's it," he was telling Ash's parents, "I quit. I have no idea what is going on in this house but I've had enough. One moment I'm happily cleaning the chandelier and the next there's a photo frame floating next to me!"

"I'm sorry," Delia said, "But it's nothing dangerous. Just a few spirits having a bit of fun."

"Spirits?" the cleaner asked, hysterical, "I am not working in a haunted house! I'm not cut out to clean around ghosts!"

As the cleaner yelled at Delia and Harold, Leaf and Ash became distracted by a sudden noise.

"Ow, ow, ow," Drew was saying as Misty whacked him over the head with his flute. Leaf and Ash looked back to Delia and Harold, who had obviously seen the flute moving up and down on its own accord. They looked slightly worried by this but didn't say anything.

"And for another thing," the cleaner snapped, "It's against health and safety."

The cleaner turned and got a full view of the flute moving on its own. The cleaner let out a shrill shriek before he ran out of the house. Delia sighed.

"Another cleaner," she muttered. Leaf laughed. Delia looked up at the brunette girl. "Oh, Leaf. You're here. Sorry about that."

"Hi, Mrs Ketch- er… Mrs Shinji," Leaf said.

"Delia," Delia corrected.

"Delia," Leaf repeated bowing a few times, "Thank you for having me."

"Not at all," Delia said, "This is my new husband, Harold."

"Hi," Harold said with a wave, "Ash says you can draw us our ghosts."

"Yeah," Leaf replied.

"It'll be nice to put a face to them," Harold said. Leaf and Ash looked over at Drew and Misty. Harold and Delia glanced over too before letting out a long sigh each. "I'll put on the kettle."

"I need a sit down," Delia said. The adults trailed out of the room, leaving the two teens to watch the ghosts.

"The guy is Drew," Ash said, "While the red head is Misty."

"OK," Leaf said, "They look odd."

"From the same time period," Ash explained. Leaf made a small 'o' shape with her mouth.

"Drew! Where's my photo frame?" yelled May as she zoomed across the room.

"Quit it Misty!" Drew yelled at Misty.

"Moron," Misty told Drew. Rusty appeared out of a wall and barked at the pair. May zoomed back through the wall.

"Where is it?" she was muttering to herself. Dawn materialised out of the wall Rusty had just come from. She looked at Drew being beaten by Misty.

"What are you two doing?" Dawn asked. May zoomed across the room once more. Dawn watched May travel across the room and disappear through the wall at the opposite the one she'd just flown through. Rusty began tugging at Drew's shoe.

"Stop it you mutt!" Drew snapped at the dog.

"Hey," Misty yelled, totally oblivious to the dog. She whacked Drew over the head with a particularly nasty swing.

"OWWW!" Drew screamed.

"OK," Leaf said, sweat-dropping, "I can honestly say, I have never seen anything like that before."

"You and me both," Ash agreed. Dawn was now trying to stop Rusty getting Drew's shoe but the dog was fighting back. May flew back into the room and floated down beside Drew, shouting at him about the photo frame while Misty continued to bash him over the head with the flute.

Ash rubbed his head.

"I don't know if I should get involved," Ash muttered.

"Never get a ghost angry," Leaf replied.

"I'm glad someone knows that rule."

Leaf jumped as Paul floated down beside them. He had his arms folded and was scowling at the commotion. Paul looked at Ash.

"You lost another cleaner, correct?" Paul asked. Ash nodded. "Then I will have to have a word."

Paul strode forwards, picking Rusty from Dawn's grasp. The dog yelped in surprise but soon drooped its ears as it knew it was in trouble. Dawn got to her feet quickly.

"Misty, May, Drew," Paul stated calmly, "Please stop this."

"Ow!"

"Where's my photo frame?"

"Moron!"

Paul handed the dog to Dawn. Dawn drifted backwards towards Ash and Leaf.

"What's he going to do?" Leaf asked.

"Nothing good," Dawn replied. Paul raised his hands and the three ghosts were blasted by a strong gust. They flew off in several directions and disappeared through different walls. Misty dropped the flute as she sailed through one wall. Paul casually walked over to the instrument and picked it up.

"That's better," Paul remarked. He walked back towards Ash and the two girls. He passed the flute to Ash. "You look after it."

"OK," Ash said, uncertainly. Drew popped his head through the wall. A few seconds later May and Misty emerged through opposite walls, looking rather frightened. Slowly the three ghosts floated towards Paul. Each of their heads were hung and their hands were behind their backs. Paul glared at them.

"Drew, fetch May's photo frame. Give it to Ash. Misty give your crystal to Ash too," Paul ordered. Drew drifted from the room while Misty floated forwards. She deposited a crystal into his hand and went back to standing beside May. Drew returned a few seconds later, holding the photo frame in his hand. He passed it to Ash.

"From now on, you three are not allowed to leave the cellar," Paul told them, "Until I come to get you. You are scaring people out of here and the family is suffering. So until you three learn that there are others here now, you will stay in the cellar."

"Yes, Master Shinji," the three chorused.

"Ash will keep your belongings," Paul went on, "He will put them somewhere where you can't get to them. Now go. I better not hear a peep out of you."

The three ghosts slowly disappeared through the floorboards. Paul turned to Ash.

"Put them in something that locks," Paul told him, "That way they won't be able to get to them."

"Er… OK," Ash said. Paul floated up through the ceiling. Dawn smiled at Ash and Leaf before she floated away after Paul.

"Wow," Leaf said suddenly. Ash looked at his best friend. "This is going to be so awesome! I'm going to draw straight away!"

With that, Leaf ran to collect her bag so she could get the work. Ash rolled his eyes with a smile on his face. There were things he had to get on with. There was no point wasting the day.

**So Leaf has arrived. I couldn't resist the Ikarishipping moment. There will be more in the future but not so soon. Don't forget to read and review.**

**RSx**


	8. The Pair

**Yeah, so I'm a little late with this, I apologise but here it is. **

**Thanks to: Foxgrl18, DarkAngel, bloodriver101, splitheart1120, AikoAkahana, lightwolfheart, Storm Dryu, LuckyTigger, AnimeLuver4Ever, RaveOn21now22, Starfire1407 (thanks for the fave too!)** **and** **AnimeLuver4evaHellyeah for reviewing. Here, have Cyber Cookies since I'm running a little late here :)**

**Disclaimer: Me no own Pokémon :(**

**Chapter Eight: The Pair**

Dawn was happily walking through the gardens as the sun lit up the sky. She smiled as she saw Leaf beside a broken plant pot. The curious ghost couldn't help but see what the girl was up to. Leaf was concentrating hard on the garden, as if she was imagining it back in the day with a large sketch pad on her lap and a pencil in her hand. Dawn walked round the girl and peered at the drawing Leaf was working on.

"It's very good," Dawn commented making Leaf jump slightly. Leaf looked up at Dawn.

"Thanks," Leaf replied, "Does it look anything like?"

"Near enough," Dawn said, "Apart from there used to be hanging baskets from the wall of the house."

"Really?" Leaf asked, "Wow, I didn't realise they had them."

"They took them down," Dawn replied, "Not long after…"

"After what?" Leaf asked, wondering what Dawn was thinking. Dawn shook her head.

"What else have you found out?" Dawn asked, hoping to take the conversation in a different direction. Leaf let out a sigh.

"Nothing really," Leaf admitted, "But I have been looking at a few of the old books. The house is pretty much like Drew told Ash. I don't care about the house, really. I want to know more about you guys."

"Us?"

"I mean, there's Misty and Drew, Paul and you and May," Leaf said, "How come May doesn't have a… partner?"

"She did," Dawn explained, "But he left."

"Left?" Leaf asked, "Ghosts can leave? Wow, I thought they were bound to the place where they died. If you could leave then why haven't you?"

"The grounds of this house extends three hectares," Dawn explained, "If you leave the area and don't return by the time the sun hits the edges of the land then you… disappear."

"And that's what May's partner did?" Leaf asked, jotting this down on a fresh piece of paper. Dawn nodded.

"It really annoyed Drew and upset May since those two were friends during their lifetime," Dawn babbled, "Master Paul tried to stop him going but he was too stubborn and left. Master Paul almost disappeared too if it wasn't for Rusty telling him to come back in time. Master Paul doesn't like it when we go too far from the house. He makes us take Rusty."

"Why do you call Paul 'master' all the time?" Leaf asked, raising an eyebrow at Dawn.

"Because he is the son of Mister and Missus Shinji. Master Shinji was Paul's brother, Miss Shinji was his sister and Master Paul was the youngest," Dawn explained.

"But you're dead," Leaf stated, "He's not employing you any more."

"I am merely showing my respect for him," Dawn snapped, "We may be partners but that doesn't mean we are friends."

"You are Paul's partner?" Leaf asked. Dawn nodded.

"He died in 1908," she replied, "I died in 1909."

"How did you die?" Leaf asked, suddenly very interested in Dawn's death. Dawn blinked a few times. "And was it related to Paul's in any way?"

"No," Dawn said, her voice rising an octave. She stood up, an angry expression on her face. "You can't come into this house and ask us how died and then assume we had something to do with each others deaths."

She walked away, leaving Leaf in a state of confusion. OK, Leaf knew she had said something wrong and figured she'd better apologise before Dawn got too upset. Leaf packed her stuff away and walked back to the house. Where would Dawn go? Maybe the attics since those rooms were pretty much left alone.

Leaf climbed up the stairs to the first floor. She looked around for the stairs to the attics. Finally she found them hidden in a small cupboard like room. She crept along the old narrow hallway wondering if Dawn was up here.

Leaf opened a random door and found a large room with an armchair and a small table in it. Curious, Leaf walked into the room for a better look. She noticed a book on the table and walked towards it. She picked up the book and opened it at the first page.

_Elizabeth Anne Shinji 1908_ it said in fancy writing. Leaf looked at it with interest before she flicked through the pages. She stopped at one page that started with the line: _It's Paul, my brother. He's dead._

Leaf paused as she read this, a shiver travelling up her spine.

_I found him the morning in his bedroom. I don't know how to describe it but it was the most horrible thing I have ever seen. I can't sleep. I can't eat. All I can do is see him there, lying on the bed. The blood. It didn't even look like him. It looked like something else, not my brother. My poor brother. _

"Enjoying yourself?" Leaf almost dropped the book as she heard Paul's voice. She juggled it for a few seconds before she managed to grab it. She glanced over her shoulder at Paul. He sounded annoyed. She quickly closed the book and put it back on the table.

"Sorry," she said quietly, hanging her head in shame.

"My sister's diary," Paul stated, "I bought it her for Christmas."

"It's very nice," Leaf commented.

"Do you want something?" Paul asked. Leaf slowly turned round to face Paul. She found that he sounded more annoyed than he looked. Leaf rubbed her arms as she felt a slight chill in the air.

"I upset Dawn," she replied honestly, "I wanted to apologise."

"She's not here," Paul said, "She's with the others in the cellar."

"How do you know that?" Leaf asked. Something seemed to click in the brunette's head and she smiled widely. "Is it because you're her partner?"

"Sort of," Paul replied, "I can sense her where ever she is. What did you do to upset her?"

"I asked her how she died," Leaf stated.

"Oh. That. Both Dawn and I have an unhealthy obsession with our deaths," Paul said, "I woke to find myself mutilated beyond recognition and Dawn tried to save herself. She blames herself for her death."

"Because she couldn't save herself?" Leaf asked. Paul pointed at the chair. Leaf slowly sat down on the chair as Paul walked in front of her.

"After I died, I kept an eye on Dawn," Paul explained, "You see, my brother liked pretty girls and Dawn was the prettiest girl in the household. When I was alive I looked after her, making sure she didn't fall into my brother's clutches and I continued the practice when I died. My brother left the house a few months after I died, in fact, because I scared him away."

"Why would you do that?" Leaf asked. Paul ignored her.

"Dawn was always a care free girl," Paul went on, "She would smile at any opportunity and she would go about her job in a happy way. However, that's when I noticed there was something odd about her. I kept an eye on her and as I thought strange things began to happen.

"One day while she was cleaning, her ladder collapsed and she almost fell down the stairs. I caught her before she was injured too badly. Another time she was almost ran over by a car. I pushed her out of the way. She almost drowned in the pond when the ice broke underneath her. I pulled her to safety. She became accident prone and no one could explain why she avoided so many life threatening accidents without so much as a scratch."

"So what did you do? Leave her to die after you got bored of looking after her?" Leaf asked. Paul shook his head sadly.

"I tried to make her leave the house but she refused to," Paul explained, "So her friends gave her a lucky charm that was said to ward off evil spirits and bad luck. So when the day came when she died, I couldn't help her because of that charm."

"Oh my," Leaf gasped, suddenly feeling very guilty about accusing Paul of giving up, "I'm so sorry. How did it happen?"

"She was walking outside when one of the terracotta hanging baskets dropped on her head," Paul said, "I tried to help her but the moment I touched her, I was shot away from her. I waited until she woke up. She saw herself and tried to bring herself back to life until I pulled her away. She screamed so loud when she saw me but she instantly knew."

"I'm so sorry," Leaf repeated, "I could never have guessed that's how it was. You must have really hated it."

"What do you mean?" Paul asked.

"Watching the girl you were in love with die like that," Leaf said. She put her hand on her heart as Paul stared at her. There was an odd silence that descended into the room until Leaf looked up at Paul. "What?"

"I do not love Dawn," Paul stated.

"Dude," Leaf snapped, a smirk worming its way onto her face, "You tried saving her from your brother. If that's not jealousy then I don't I don't know what it is. You chased him out of the house and you tried to save her. Dude, that's love."

Paul let out a sigh before he floated around the room.

"I will protect Dawn no matter what," he muttered, "I am the one who looks after her but I don't love her. She's a servant. I am the person she serves."

"You're dead," Leaf muttered, "I didn't realise society mattered to you now you aren't part of it. You're both above society. You can love each other."

"Were you born with a belief, Leaf?" Paul asked, "Something that you were told so often that you would never think about crossing the line, ever?"

"I guess there is," Leaf replied.

"Then this is exactly the same," Paul stated, "Besides I may… like Dawn but she would never like someone like me."

"You're great," Leaf told him, "You care about her a lot. There's nothing more she could ask for."

"Leaf," Paul said with a slightly harsher tone than before. Leaf looked at him. "There's the same weirdness I sense around you like I did Dawn. Please and I mean this with all seriousness, be careful. If anything slightly weird happens, you should leave straight away."

"OK," Leaf nodded, "Thanks."

"Now get out," Paul snapped. Leaf giggled as she got out of his chair.

"Thanks for the chat," she said with a bow, "I'll go and find Dawn now."

She skipped out of the room. Paul watched her leave before he smiled. The living. So thoughtful and progressive.

**OK, that's the chapter. This one felt short, even for me. Anyway, hope you enjoyed it. I really should get on with writing some more on this story. *sigh* Thank Arceus that I'm nearly finished at Uni. I should have all the time I need to write and stuff very soon :)**

**Until next week. Please review!**

**RSx**


	9. The Guests

**Thanks to splitheart1120, Foxgrl18, AikoAkahana, DarkAngel, lightwolfheart, Starfire1407, LuckyTigger and AnimexLuver4Ever for reviewing the last chapter! **

**I should really start writing this again ¬_¬ I've jus about caught up with myself which is not good.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon :(**

**Chapter Nine: The Guests**

Ash walked into the entrance hall to find his best friend attacking his father. Ash did a double take. His father? What was his dad doing here?

"I got a message from some weird cleaner who said this place was haunted," Mr Ketchum was telling Leaf, "So your mother and I came for a look around. We didn't realise this was the place we'd sent you too."

OK, this was going to get ugly, Ash thought as he walked towards Leaf. Ash noticed that Vi was stood the other side of Leaf, looking unimpressed at the new guests. Mr Ketchum turned his eyes onto Ash suddenly.

"Ash! How are you?" he asked. Ash rubbed his head.

"I'm great," Ash replied, feeling a little awkward since he hadn't seen his dad in almost three months. Ash had decided to come and live with his mum rather than his dad despite Leaf being his step-sister. Ash couldn't get along with Leaf's mother but he got along with Harold.

"This is a great house," Mr Ketchum went on, "So how many ghosts do we have in here."

"You don't have any ghosts," Vi snapped, "I don't remember allowing you to come in and hunt for the ghosts."

Mr Ketchum shot Vi a dark look knowing that she was right. Vi looked at Ash before she walked off to find her own father. Ash could tell that Vi wasn't too happy with the Ketchums invading the house. Ash looked at Leaf who shrugged.

"So, how many are there?" Mr Ketchum asked.

Paul and Dawn watched as more and more people came into the house that evening. They stood away from where eyes could reach them. They were slightly confused as to why there were suddenly all these people with strange looking equipment and talking about ghosts.

"This has got out of hand," Paul muttered. Dawn nodded slowly. They drifted through the floorboards and didn't stop until they reached the cellar. The other four were waiting for them. Even Rusty seemed to be alarmed at how many people there were.

"There's a lot of people," Dawn said, "I don't know what we should do."

The five of them thought for a few seconds before Paul gave a dark chuckle. Drew smirked as Paul did this.

"Come on, Paul," Drew said, "With a laugh that dark, it must be good."

"I hate it when he does that," Misty said. Dawn and May smiled at Paul. They all knew what he was thinking. That dark laugh could only mean one thing: Paul had a very evil idea.

"They want ghosts, don't they?" Paul asked.

"Yes," Drew replied, smirk growing wider.

"Then we give them… ghosts," Paul finished, a cruel smirk of his own growing on his lips. Misty put her hands on her hips, smiling smugly. Dawn nodded serenely. May looked worried. Drew chuckled darkly.

"Oh, I like this plan," Drew commented.

~G~

"Well, this is great," Delia was saying as she climbed up the stairs to the main bedroom with Harold, "Our house has been invaded by ghost hunters and my ex-husband. I don't know which is worse."

Harold chuckled.

"Well, I hope they get what they came for," Harold said, "Maybe then they'll leave us alone."

The two walked into their bedroom to find that there was a note on their bed. Harold walked over to the bed and picked up the note.

_Please stay in your room tonight, Mr and Mrs Shinji. We will handle things._

Harold and Delia looked at each other before they smiled.

"Well… It's either the kids or the ghosts. I don't know which one I prefer," Harold remarked.

"At least they were nice enough to warn us," Delia said, "How did a ghost write a note though?"

"I have no idea," Harold replied.

Reggie was fiddling with his t-shirt when Vi walked past him. She looked at her older brother weirdly for a few seconds, thinking it was slightly out of character for him to be so nervous looking. She did a double take. He didn't look nervous. He looked pained, annoyed and slightly mischievous.

"Are you OK?" Vi asked. Reggie looked at her. He folded his arms then corrected himself by putting his hands on his hips.

"Fine," he replied. Vi looked him up and down.

"If you say so," she told him before walking away. Reggie let out a sigh as he went back to messing with his clothes. They felt weird, he felt weird. He flapped his arms out a few times before wiggling his fingers.

"Weird," he muttered.

"Master Paul," Dawn said, poking her head out through the wall. Reggie looked at her, expecting her to say something. She watched him with a strange look on her face.

"What is it?" Reggie asked.

"You look weird, Master Paul," Dawn replied, "It's like it is you but it's not. It creeps me out."

"Over shadowing this body is easy for me," Reggie stated, "He's a blood relative. How are the others doing?"

"They're fine," Dawn replied, "Everything is ready."

"Good," Reggie said, smirking. Dawn floated beside him. She touched him weirdly for a few seconds. Reggie watched her as she poked his arm.

"That's weird," she muttered. She floated away from Reggie slightly.

"Make sure you keep away from everyone," Reggie told her, "Now, I need to remember how to walk."

"I'm sure you can remember," Dawn said. Reggie took a few steps in an awkward manner before he fell into a natural rhythm. Reggie let out a sigh. Dawn waved to him before she disappeared. Reggie walked through the house wondering what the way was to the main hall. Reggie stopped. This wasn't good. He'd forgotten the way.

"Hey, Reggie!" Ash yelled. Reggie turned and saw Ash running towards him. Reggie smiled in the way he usually did.

"Hey, Ash," Reggie replied, "Where's the fire?"

"Come on, everyone's waiting," Ash told Reggie. Reggie smirked. This was perfect. He'd gotten lost and the boy had helped him. Reggie ran after Ash. This couldn't have worked out better.

"So what do you think they're going to do tonight?" Reggie asked. Ash shrugged.

"I have no idea," Ash replied, "I think they just want to see some ghosts. That's all."

"Really?" Reggie asked as the gaggle of people came into view. "Then explain why they have all this machinery."

"To monitor them," Ash explained. Reggie nodded a few times. Ash rushed off to go and talk to his father. Reggie looked down at the people hurrying around. He couldn't help but smirk at it all.

In two hours time the fun would really begin…

**Like I said, I need to get on writing Chapter Ten but it should be done for next week! Yay! Please review to tell me what you think!**

**RSx**


	10. The Spook

**Sorry this is a day late! I didn't have time to update yesterday and I am still suffering from what I think is an ear infection ¬_¬ It has eased slightly now so I can type!**

**Thanks to splitheart1120, Foxgrl18, LuckyTigger, lightwolfheart, AnimexLuver4Ever, IgglybuffPichuandOrcha3000, TheMomeRaths, Starfire1407 and AikoAkahana for reviewing. Sorry for being late guys but I am being slightly more of a wuss lately with this thing T_T**

**Chapter Ten: The Spook**

"Welcome, ghost hunters of all kinds," Mr Ketchum greeted the large number of ghost hunters in the main hall, "We have permission to search this house for ghosts for tonight only. Remember we only have until the sun comes up to find them."

"Why until sunrise?" Vi asked Ash. Reggie looked down at his younger sister and step-brother.

"Ghosts seem to have a better presence during the night rather than during the day," Ash explained. Vi nodded slowly.

"I hope they've gone into hiding," Vi stated. Ash gave a laugh.

"Paul probably ordered it but you know Drew and Rusty," Ash said, "We'll find them in no time."

"I hope so," Reggie said, "I want to finally see these ghosts."

Vi glanced at Reggie for a few seconds. She eyed him carefully figuring that there was something different about her brother. She couldn't place her finger on it but he seemed slightly odd. He was smiling like Reggie and talking like Reggie but it didn't feel like Reggie. Ash didn't seem to notice but Ash was too preoccupied with his father to notice anything.

"There are supposed to be five ghosts in this house," Mr Ketchum went on, "Each coming through the ages. My son and step-daughter say they are not repetitive ghosts but wondering ghosts."

"And that mean?" Vi asked Ash. Ash looked a little annoyed at explaining everything so Vi fell quiet. Reggie smiled at her.

"It means they walk about rather than doing the same things over and over," Reggie explained quietly so that Ash could listen to his father.

"Makes sense," Vi said.

"And we have some new technology to try out," Mr Ketchum said. Now this had Vi and Reggie's attention. They watched as Mr Ketchum picked up, what looked like, a water gun. It had a hollow canister on the back of it but it was pulled into a rucksack. "This will allow us to capture a ghost for the first time."

"Wow," Ash said.

"What do you mean, wow?" Vi snapped, "They're our ghosts! You can't take them away from us!"

"Young lady," Mr Ketchum said, "This is a study of ghosts we need to take one to study."

"You can't do that, dad," Leaf said. She was sat by her mother close to Mr Ketchum. "They'll disappear if you take them out of the grounds."

"How do you know that?" Mr Ketchum asked.

"Dawn told me," Leaf replied in a small voice like everyone else was sneering at her. Reggie blinked a few times before he looked at Vi. Vi looked positively annoyed by this development. She eyes were glittering with anger while her body was tensed.

"I doubt it will work," Reggie told Vi, "It looks like its something out of Ghost Busters."

Vi let out a quiet giggle as Reggie said this. She looked at her older brother, smiling at him. She frowned suddenly at him as she wondered where his sudden sense of humour had come from and why was he trying to cheer her up? Reggie blinked a few times wondering why Vi was frowning like she was.

"Something wrong, sis?" he asked.

"No," she replied. She turned her head back to Mr Ketchum. Reggie eyed the young girl warily. She was onto him. He smirked but only slightly. She was cleverer than he gave her credit.

"We will divide into teams," Mr Ketchum was saying, "Five at the most since there are five ghosts."

"Right," the other ghost hunters cheered.

Reggie and Vi stayed close to Ash as they got into a group of seven. They were with two rather cooky couples that seemed totally into ghosts. Reggie and Vi exchanged looks. This was going to be a long night.

Dawn and Drew looked down at a team as they passed through the corridor to go to the kitchens. Since both Drew and Dawn knew this area of the house quite well, Paul had given it to them to look after.

"Dawn," Drew said, "Stay hidden."

"OK," Dawn replied as she faded through the ceiling. Drew cracked his fingers.

"It's show time," he told himself before he set to work.

Misty was hanging round the old library. They were bound to come into this room since this is where most people ended up. She was half hidden in a book case, waiting for a team to find her. Finally the door to the room opened and a team of eight poured into the library. They looked around for a few minutes. Misty saw her chance. She let out an evil laugh as she began her part in the plan.

"Oh, I hate this," May muttered to herself as she floated from dinning room to hallway. She was meant to be in the dinning room but she knew that no one would be able to find her in there by themselves. Instead she was walking in a pattern like she could only do that route. No one was coming her way. After half an hour or so someone finally spotted her. They rushed into the dinning room to find it empty.

"A repetitive ghost," one of the weird ghost hunters said.

May faded through the floor near to the doors and slamed them shut. She smiled at the group in front of her.

"Amazing," another one said.

"Won't you play with me?" May asked, tilting her head to the right side. She looked incredibly cute and totally misleading. "There's not another air raid for ages yet. So play?"

"Let's see if we can get any data on her."

"Play with me?" May asked again. She pouted suddenly as the scientists ignored her and started to play with weird gadgets. "Hey!"

They turned to look at her in shock.

"I want to play," she demanded, "So we will play."

The scientists went pale as three drawers full of silver opened.

Vi and Ash paused as they heard pained screams coming from all over the house. Reggie looked around before smirking evilly to himself.

"What was that?" Mr Rogers, a slightly over weight, simple minded man asked. His wife, just as simple minded as he was, clung to his arm. There were another few shouts of pain from various places around the house.

"I hope the ghosts aren't hurting people," Mrs Rogers said.

"They can't," Ash said, "Unless Paul is out to get them."

"Let's continue," Mr Holmes, the other husband of the second couple, suggested. The others nodded and continued through the halls. They made it out onto a balcony which over looked a large empty hall. Vi and Ash looked at it gone out. Reggie gave a laugh.

"Did you realise this was here?" he asked. Vi and Ash shook their heads. "It's the ballroom. I thought you would have found it by now."

"No," Vi said.

"It's amazing," Ash said happily, "I wonder if any of the ghosts are hanging around near here."

Reggie frowned slightly at Ash's use of the word ghosts. For a few seconds he sounded just like the other hunters. It annoyed Reggie to no end. Vi looked around the ballroom with her eyes wide.

"We so should have a party in here," Vi muttered. She looked over the nicely decorated floor. Sure it was still a little dirty and needed some more work but it would be perfect for a party one day. Her eyes fell on something in the centre of the ballroom.

It looked like a boy. He had wild purple hair, smirking very evilly up at Vi. He was wearing all black: black shirt, black jacket, black breeches and black boots. The boy held up a hand to Vi.

"Ash?" Vi asked, pointing at the boy, "Is that Paul?"

Both Ash and Reggie turned to see what their sister was looking at. They immediately saw the boy in the centre of the room. Reggie's eyes widened in shock for a few seconds before he looked at Ash. Ash shook his head slowly.

"I've never seen him before," Ash mumbled, "Who is he?"

Reggie glanced back at the boy. The boy was looking directly at Reggie now, smile widened in almost a manic way. Reggie tilted his head to the side. There was something oddly familiar about that boy but he couldn't put his finger on it. The boy moved his raised hand towards Reggie. Something was not right with this kid. A dark ball of energy was emerging from the kid's palm. Reggie jumped to the side as the boy released the attack on him. Vi screamed while Ash gave out a shocked yell. Reggie landed on the floor unharmed but slightly worried.

He finally remembered that kid.

Vi stumbled backwards towards the banister. She gripped onto it tightly as if the floor was going to disappear beneath her. She glanced at her brother. Reggie was on his feet, staring intently at the kid on the dance floor.

"You're very bad," the boy told him, "You must die."

"Too late for that, kid," Reggie replied. The kid shot another black orb of power but not at Reggie. He shot it at where Vi was stood. She screamed again as she fell backwards, falling down off the balcony. Reggie glanced around. The adults had seemingly ran away at the first sign of danger. Ash was laying on the floor unconscious. How helpful. Reggie jumped after Vi, catching her and landing on the floor like a cat. Both of them were unharmed.

Reggie straightened up with Vi in his arms. He gently let his sister go and placed her on the floor.

"Who are you?" Reggie asked the kid.

"I'm me," the boy said, smiling at Reggie. The boy conjured another orb in his hands. Reggie's eyes widened. This was not good at all. This kid wanted to kill him. Why? The problem was that Reggie couldn't use powers. Reggie turned to Vi.

"Please don't scream," he told her. Vi looked confused for a few seconds before pure horror etched into her expression. Something floated out from Reggie. It was a boy with purple hair and black eyes. A ghost. Reggie fell limply to the ground. The ghost sent an attack of his own towards the boy. It felt like a strong gust of wind. Vi covered her eyes it was so strong.

"Oh, you're dead already?" the kid asked the ghost, "Too bad. Maybe next time."

The kid disappeared in a wisp of smoke leaving Vi and the ghost to stare after him. Vi fell to her knees. They were suddenly too weak to support her. Something had just tried to kill her but she was saved by another ghost. Was that possible?

"Master Paul?" the female voice rung through the ballroom before a woman rushed into the room. She looked scared. She ran up to the other ghost and stopped just short of him. "Are you OK? I thought you were in danger."

"I'm fine," Paul told Dawn, "Whatever it was is now gone."

"What was what?" Dawn asked looking slightly confused.

"I'm not sure," Paul replied. He looked at Dawn. She looked as terrified as he felt. Maybe she was picking up on that. He hated to admit it but that 'thing', that boy, had made him purely terrified. Using his powers against it took a lot of guts.

"Wh-what's going on?" Vi cried suddenly, "Who are you people? What was that thing?"

Dawn turned to look at the girl. She had been solely focused on finding Paul that she hadn't realised that there was another person conscious in the room. Paul put a hand on Dawn's shoulder.

"Look after her," Paul told her softly, "I'll go and handle the rest of the plan."

"Yes, sir," Dawn said with a bob. The two ghosts departed. Paul walked through the house until he reached the main hall where the ghost hunters had converged. Some had cutlery stuck in their machines, others were covered with gloop, soaps suds, dust or had books through their machines. Maybe the others over did it a little, Paul thought.

He looked around, smirk settling on his lips as he pushed the thoughts of the strange boy to the back of his head. Time to get to work, he thought. That's when he started clapping.

**OK so you have now caught up to me :O I really need to write more! Update should be next Saturday unless my plot fairy escapes *glares at plot fairy*. Please review!**

**RSx**


	11. The Cupboard

**So there is a chapter written! Yay! I still need to write more but I'm getting there, slowly.**

**Thanks to splitheart1120, AnimexLuver4Ever, lightwolfheart, Storm Dryu, Miyako Sumihara, Etoile of the twilight, Starfire1407 and LuckyTigger for reviewing! Thanks also for the lending of butterfly nets, they actually worked :) Now on with the show.**

**Me no own Pokémon.**

**Chapter Eleven: The Cupboard**

"You didn't have to do that you know!" Ash yelled at Paul as the younger followed the ghost around the ballroom. Paul was ignoring Ash to the best of his ability. "Causing a whirlwind to pick them up, then dump them on the floor! They were scared stiff. And then you had to get the others do that sort of gory freak show with the water and the burning and … you with the blood! It was horrible!"

Paul turned to face Ash suddenly. The purple haired ghost glared daggers at the boy.

"That was the reflection of our deaths," Paul spat, "Don't tell us it was horrible."

"But you scared them half to death," Ash yelled.

Vi and Dawn walked into the room. Vi was carrying a tray with two mugs of tea on it. She glanced at her step-brother and then at the purple haired ghost.

"This is going to get some getting used to," Vi muttered. Dawn giggled and whisked over to Paul's side. Paul glanced at Dawn.

"Have the others found anything strange?" Paul asked her. Dawn shook her head. "I wonder what brought him out again."

"You've seen that person before, Master Paul?" Dawn asked, tilting her head to the side. Ash folded his arms grumpily.

"Once before," Paul admitted, "But a very long time ago. It can't be good that he's here again."

"Who is he?" Vi asked. She was now sat on the floor with the tray by her side. She was sipping her drink idly while trying to catch up with everything. Ash stared at Vi with a weird expression on his face.

"How come she can see you now?" Ash asked. Paul shrugged.

"I saw the boy when I was alive," Paul explained, "I must have been twelve or thirteen."

"How old were you when you died?" Vi asked, "Just out of interest."

"Seventeen," Paul replied.

"It's weird how we're all around the same age," Dawn said as she floated beside Vi and sat down, "I'm fifteen like May and Drew and Misty are both sixteen. Paul was the oldest when he died but only just."

"That's why Bronkhurst was in the house to begin off with," Paul snarled, "Parents and birthday parties. I told them it was a bad idea."

A coldness seemed to settle in the room as Paul paced away from Ash. He turned round quickly on his ankle before storming off. Dawn quickly got up and followed her partner, trying to calm him down. Dawn followed him round the room, desperately trying to soothe his apparent bad mood. He was ignoring her as well as trying to escape her. The two of them were zig-zagging round the ballroom with Paul in the lead and Dawn a few steps behind him.

Ash went to sit by Vi and grab his drink. The two of them watched the ghosts for a few seconds before Vi turned to Ash.

"You're not really that mad at Paul are you?" she asked, "The ghost hunters were going to try and take a ghost with them."

"He pre-planned it," Ash replied, "Without giving them a chance."

"Master Paul," they heard Dawn snap at Paul, "Stop behaving like a child."

"They are weird," Vi commented as she stared at the ghosts. They had stopped walking around the room. Dawn was facing Paul as they argued face to face for a few minutes. Paul had his arms folded while Dawn had her hands on her hips. "I didn't think maids could argue with their masters."

"I suppose not," Ash agreed.

"Still," Vi said, "No harm done."

"I suppose," Ash said with a sighed, "But I wished we'd had a little more warning."

Leaf walked into the ballroom, glancing slightly at the bickering ghosts in the centre of it before she walked towards Ash and Vi.

"Why are they arguing?" she asked.

"She called him a child," Ash replied. Leaf giggled before she sat down in front of her best friend. She passed Ash a book.

"I found this in the library," Leaf told them, "It's about some dark rumours about this house."

Ash and Vi eyed the book carefully for a few minutes before Ash opened it. They flicked through a few pages until it landed on a portrait of a boy.

"That's the guy," Vi gasped, pointing to the page, "That's the ghost."

"You're fired!" Paul roared suddenly, making the living teens turn to see what was up.

"Good!" Dawn shouted back, "You're such a jerk!"

Dawn turned on her heel and stormed out of the ballroom. Paul rubbed his face slowly before walking after her, calling her name loudly. The other teens sweat-dropped.

"Let's not ask," Ash muttered. They turned back to the book. "So that's the thing that attacked us."

"It really wanted to kill Reggie," Vi explained, "Or Paul. I'm not sure which one."

"Just a question," Leaf said slowly, "How did the guys move things last night? I mean, I thought only Paul had powers so how did the others move stuff?"

"Good point," Ash said.

"Maybe that's what caused this person to come out," Vi suggested.

"Hey," Drew's voice made the teens look up at the ceiling, "Where's Paul?"

"He went to find Dawn," Ash replied.

"Drew," Leaf said, "How did you move stuff last night?"

Drew floated down from the ceiling, doing a flip in mid air to make himself land on his feet.

"Oh, that," Drew said like it was nothing, "Paul did it all, really."

"Paul?" Vi asked, "But he was in Reggie."

"Yes, that's true," Drew agreed with a few nods of the head, "But Paul has an anchor in this house. Thus why we listen to him and he has powers."

"It is his house so it does whatever he wants it too," Leaf said. Drew nodded.

"Pretty much," Drew replied, "We just acted as decoys and prompts for him."

"He is powerful," Vi mumbled, "But why couldn't he defeat that ghosty thing that was in here?"

"It must take a lot of energy to control things all over the house," Ash explained, "So his powers would have been weakened."

"That's why Dawn was so worried," Vi said, "She came rushing in looking terrified."

"I doubt that Dawn would worry that much about Paul," Drew said, "I mean she can tell where he is but not what he is feeling."

"She said she thought he was in danger," Vi told Drew, "Why would she say that?"

Drew merely shrugged at this. He glanced around as May walked into the room. The brunette ghost looked slightly distracted as she walked towards Drew.

"I just saw Paul," she said, pointing at the door, "I think Dawn's locked herself in a cupboard again."

"Not again," Drew moaned, running a hand through his hair, "Those two better not have fallen out again."

"How can Dawn lock herself in a cupboard?" Ash asked like he didn't believe it, "Paul said ghosts can't get things that were locked in something."

"That's true," Drew said, "That means that Paul can't go in a drag her out. It's happened twice, I think. It first happened in 1914 when he fired her and she told him he was a jerk. She came out… eventually."

"And then in 1968… I think it was," May explained, "Paul and Dawn had a mega huge fight. Dawn locked herself in the cupboard and didn't come out again until 1971."

"Wow," Leaf laughed, "She stayed in a cupboard for three whole years?"

"So what happened?" Drew asked. May looked equally as interested.

"Er… they were bickering," Ash said, looking at Leaf for back up.

"And then he… erm… fired her," Leaf added.

"Not again!" May and Drew chorused. May instantly zoomed out of the room. Drew rolled his eyes.

"Please excuse us," he muttered before he followed May. The three teens let out a collective sigh.

"That girl sure does know how to throw a tantrum," Ash mumbled. Leaf jumped to her feet and stretched.

"Well, I'll go and help the guys with Dawn," she said, "You two look into that book. Since Vi was the one who saw the ghost, you'll have more of an idea of who to look for."

"Sure," Vi said with a nod. Leaf smiled before she left the room.

She eventually found Paul fifteen minutes later stood banging on a door, calling through to Dawn.

"I said I was sorry!" Paul shouted. Leaf shook her head at the scene but decided to keep her distance. Paul was still mad and Dawn was upset.

"Go away, you jerk!" was the reply from the other side of the door.

"Please, Dawn, come out," Paul said. He leant on the door frame. "I take it all back. I know that there's no one better than you."

Dawn opened the door and glared at Paul.

"Don't try that on me," she warned, "If I were alive, you'd fire me good and proper."

She went to slam the door but Paul put his foot in the way and pushed against the door. Dawn tried to close it on him but the two seemed equally matched in strength. Leaf watched the contest go on for a few seconds until Dawn let out a frustrated scream. Dawn opened the door, almost causing Paul to fall over.

"Leave me alone!" she roared. Leaf watched as Paul was shot backwards into the opposite wall by a strong gust of wind. He collided with the wall with a thud. There was a few minutes of silence before he groaned as he sat up, rubbing his head. Dawn's demeanour instantly changed. She rushed to his side to make sure he was alright.

"Are you alright?" she asked, "Master Paul? You're not hurt are you?"

"I'm fine," Paul said with an annoyed tone in his voice. Dawn relaxed slightly before she saw Leaf down the hall. Leaf was stunned at what she'd just seen.

"What happened there?" Leaf asked as she approached the two ghosts, "I didn't think Dawn had powers too."

"Powers?" Dawn asked like she didn't understand, "I don't have powers."

Paul glared at her.

"You do," he told her sharply, "You're power is to make my afterlife a misery."

"You stupid jerk!" Dawn yelled. She went to stand up but Paul caught her arm and pulled her down beside him. He smirked at her.

"I'm your jerk," he said in a much softer tone. Leaf, feeling as though she shouldn't be here at this time, decided she had seen enough and quickly left before the ghosts could realise.

"I suppose," Dawn agreed, "Are you hurt?"

"Not really," Paul replied. Dawn pouted.

"I'll have to try harder next time then," she snorted. Paul blinked a few times at her before he let out a quiet chuckle. The two of them looked at where Leaf should have been but soon saw her retreating down the hall at a fast pace. Dawn stood up. She dusted off her apron before she looked down at Paul. Paul was still staring after Leaf. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Paul replied, "It's just that girl… she's weird. Help me up."

Dawn grasped Paul's hand and pulled him to his feet. The two stood staring down the corridor for a few minutes, their hands still tightly locked around each others. They hardly seemed to notice.

"You're powers are getting stronger," Paul stated, "I wonder why so suddenly."

"If I get powers then will the others?" Dawn asked. Paul looked at her and shook his head. Slowly he slid his hand from hers. Dawn looked down. "Why me?"

"Because," Paul replied, "You are the closest thing to a mistress this house has."

"Oh no," Dawn said quickly, "I'm no lady of a house. I'm a maid. I'm nothing else."

"You're my partner," Paul told her softly, "That makes you… special."

Dawn blushed slightly at this. Paul had never spoken to like this before. Suddenly it was like they were equals. Dawn quickly looked away from his gaze. His onyx eyes were searching into her mind again. She hated it. She wasn't his equal, not even in death. She was his servant, he was her master. That was the way it was supposed to be.

"Dawn," Paul said, "If you were alive and I was too, I would have fired you, that's true."

"Yes, sir," Dawn said. Paul brushed past her.

"Then maybe we could have left together," he muttered so that only she could hear. She turned round quickly to stare at him but he was already half way down the corridor. Leave together? Why would he want to leave with her? Dawn looked round in confusion for a few seconds before she drifted through the floorboards to find May and Misty.

**OK, I found the chapter title for this chapter a little random but had to go with it. I liked the idea of Dawn and Paul having an argument. Why she locks herself in a cupboard, I have no idea. Just seemed quirky. Anyway. The next chapter will be loaded next Saturday. In the mean time there will be more pictures for this fic available on my blog :) So have a browse. **

**Please review!**

**RSx**


	12. The Memory

**OK so this chapter is very short. Erm… Shorter than I thought it would be but it's nice enough. It's a heavily memory chapter so italics means it's in the past while normal text is present tense.**

**Thanks to LuckyTigger, splitheart1120, Etoile of the twilight, lightwolfhearrt, Strom Dryu, OffMyTea, AnimexLuver4Ever, Starfire1407 and ninetailsgirl94. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon :(**

**Chapter Twelve: The Memory**

_There was something very wrong with this house, something cold and empty about it. Even though it was full to the brim of servants and the family who owned it, the house always seemed to be quiet. She noticed this as she walked through the corridors. She'd been sent to make sure everything was as it should be, that all the fires had been put out and the windows had been locked up. Armed only with a little candle, she braved through the maze of corridors. _

_There was a candle on in the library. She paused, glancing around without moving her head. She stepped to the library door and gently knocked on the door before entering._

_The youngest master was sat reading in a chair with a large candle lit. He glanced up at her._

"_Yes?" he asked._

"_Excuse me, sir," the maid said with a polite bob, "I was just checking the house before the servants retired. Can I get you anything?"_

"_I'm perfectly fine," the young master replied, returning to his book. The maid closed the door silently and went on her way again. She tiptoed through the corridors before returning down to the kitchens to report on what she'd seen. No one was in the kitchens, however, when she arrived. Figuring that everyone had gone to bed, she made her way to the servant's stairs. She opened the plain looking door and almost screamed as she saw the newest maid. The young girl must have been about eleven. She was from the work house and very thin. Her hair was short so it wouldn't get caught in the machinery or attract lice while in the workhouse. Now that she was in the house, she would grow it out._

"_Dawn," the older maid gasped, "You almost gave me a heart attack. What are you doing here? You should be in bed."_

"_Sorry, ma'am," the girl said with a bob, "I came to tell you that the cook had gone to bed."_

"_I can see he has," the older maid snapped, looking around. She looked at the younger maid and pointed up the stairs. "Bed, child. You'll be up at five tomorrow. Sleep."_

"_Yes, ma'am," Dawn said hurriedly before retreating upstairs to her small room. The older maid let out a sigh and looked round the kitchen. Everything was in order now. She could go to bed._

_She felt a cold breeze ruffle through her hair. She turned round to find that someone was stood in the kitchen doorway. His hair was purple and wild. His clothes looked odd like he was going to a party or something. The maid bobbed._

"_Excuse me, sir, is there anything you need?" she asked. The boy just stared at her with a wicked smile on his face. The maid blinked a few times. "Sir? Please, sir, is there anything you need?"_

_The boy remained quiet just smirking at the maid. The maid was getting unsettled now. She frowned at the boy._

"_Master Paul," she snapped, "Please tell me what you want."_

"_Master Paul?" the boy asked before he started to laugh manically, "I am no Master Paul. I am just the master."_

"_Sir?" the maid asked, not quite understanding. The boy walked towards her with loud steps. The maid stood on her spot looking confused._

_Paul glanced up as he heard a scream vibrate through the house. He put the book down and jumped out of his seat. It sounded like it was coming from the kitchens. As quick as a thirteen year old boy could, he raced through the house into the kitchens to see what was wrong._

_He came to a full stop as his onyx eyes washed over the scene. The boy with wild purple hair was smiling up at him as he held a knife in his hand. The knife was covered in blood as was the boy. Paul took a few steps backward. _

_The servant's door opened and a young girl popped her head through the door._

"_Ma'am, I heard a scream," she said before stopping herself and staring at the maid on the floor. Blood was everywhere._

"_I see you two are here," the boy said, "I see you two are here."_

_Dawn glanced across at Paul, Paul looked at Dawn. Both were confused. _

"_Tag," the boy with the knife said in an almost taunting manner, "You two are it."_

"_What do you mean?" Paul barked, "Who are you?"_

"_I'm me," the boy said before fading through the floorboards, dropping the knife in the process. Dawn rushed forwards to help the maid. She was caught by Paul and pulled into his body._

"_Please, she's hurt!" Dawn yelled._

"_Go upstairs and wake the steward," Paul ordered, "There's nothing we can do for her."_

"_But she's hurt," Dawn wailed. Paul glanced down at the girl. He didn't realise how young she was until then. She was very young. Too young. Paul let out a sigh._

"_The steward," Paul told her, "Get him now. Wake as many people as you can."_

"_Yes, sir," Dawn muttered before she ran back up the stairs, crying slightly. Paul glanced the maid over before he turned and ran from the room._

_The murder was never really solved but how could it be when everything seemed to disappear? The boy had gone without a trace. The family were fast to brush the story away and forget it ever happened. The maid was given a quiet burial in the village with the house staff standing by. Even the family attended to show their respect. No one ever found out who did it. _

"It was him," Paul muttered to himself as he sat in his chair in his room. He was playing mindlessly with his sister's diary. The sun was setting outside. The other ghosts were in the library with the other teens discussing the dark secrets of the house. Paul had refused to go to the meeting because he said it was a waste of time but he knew it was important. He put the diary back on the table where it belonged. "What did he want?"

Paul stood up and walked up and down the room. Who was this person? Why did he kill that poor maid? Paul froze.

Even to this day, he didn't even know her name.

**Currently I am writing Chapter Sixteen which is being a great big pain because it's not happy with what I am writing. But I am hoping to make this a *ahem* twice a week update story once I get past Chapter Eighteen so hopefully, maybe even this week, I will be doing two updates per week. That sound good with people?**

**Please review with comments and stuff. Until next time whenever that may be *looks around pointlessly in thought***

**RSx**


	13. The Lessons

**OK so I'm living up to my word of a double update this week since I reached Chapter Eighteen. This chapter has some Pokeshipping in it and I'm introducing a well anticipated character too :)**

**Thanks to ninetailsgirl94, splitheart1120, OffMyTea, lightwolfheart, AnimexLuver4Ever, Starfire1407 and XJessicaLeighX18 for reviewing. I am surprised at how many people wanted two updates a week. I hope not to disappoint :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon.**

**Chapter Thirteen: The Lessons**

It was weird being pushed out of the front door the following Monday morning. Ash and Vi were half asleep as they were led towards their new school by Reggie. Reggie didn't seem to care, he was a morning person anyway. Leaf had gone home that Sunday which meant that the house was pretty quiet now. The ghosts were busy investigating the strange purple haired ghost. Even Paul seemed to be interested suddenly.

"I hate school," Ash moaned, "And I've not even got there yet."

"I know," Vi agreed, "Why does it have to start so early in the morning? Just think if they started it a little later, the student input would be higher."

"That's true," Ash said. Reggie rolled his eyes at his younger siblings.

"You two are such babies," Reggie remarked, "Man up, both of you."

"Hey!" the two yelled.

Ash was sat at one end of the classroom while Vi was at the other. At least they were in the same class, he supposed. Vi was chatting to some girls about something but no one was talking to Ash. He sat watching the rain on the windows, half wondering what the ghosts were doing back home.

"Hey," someone close to Ash said. Ash looked up to see a guy with spiky brown hair stood beside Ash's desk. "You look like you're bored."

"I am," Ash replied. The guy chuckled before reaching out his hand.

"The name is Gary," the guy said. Ash took Gary's hand and shook it. "You're the new kid, right?"

"Ash, yeah," Ash replied with a sigh.

"Must be hard moving to a new school," Gary said, trying to spark a conversation, "Actually, to a new place period."

"It's OK," Ash said, rubbing his head, "I've done this before when my parents split so I pretty much know how it goes."

"Ouch," Gary said. Gary pulled up a chair and sat down next to Ash's desk. "So you're step-brother to Vi?"

"Yup," Ash nodded, "We moved into the house in the meadow."

"The big one?" Gary asked, "The one that's haunted?"

"That's the one," Ash replied happily, "It is really amazing."

"Wow, the haunted house?" Gary asked, "Is it really haunted?"

"There are ghosts, yeah," Ash replied slowly, "But they don't really haunt us."

"How can that be?" Gary asked, "Ghosts just haunt, don't they?"

"Not really," Ash replied, "They're too busy fighting themselves."

"Sounds complex," Gary said with a chuckle. Ash grinned at the brunette. That was one word for it, Ash supposed.

~G~

Misty was tapping the floor with her knuckle as she watched May and Dawn zoom up and down the library shelves, looking for different books for Paul, Ash and Vi to look into. Paul was sat in a chair, casually flicking through a book. Drew was around somewhere, having had his shoe stolen by Rusty again. It was so quiet without the likes of Ash round. There was nothing to see or do. Was it always so boring? How had they coped before?

Misty slowly got to her feet and walked out of the room. She floated through the corridors until she reached the kitchen. She didn't even notice when she walked through Harold as he made a cup of coffee. He shivered.

"Ah," he said, "I'll never get used to that. Ghosts walking through me."

Misty's head snapped up as she heard his voice. She twirled round and bowed her head.

"Sorry, I didn't see you there," she said.

"I'm glad for the note you left for us the other day, by the way," Harold went on, unable to hear Misty talk, "It was very nice to warn us about the trouble."

"Paul said we should do that," Misty replied, "He's awfully thoughtful that way."

"You must get bored," Harold said.

"I do," Misty agreed, "It's OK for the others, they can do other things but not me. I just sit around. Afterlife is boring."

"To live forever, that must be wonderful," Harold said.

"Not really, we can't do anything," Misty replied, "Not eat or drink or sleep. We can't feel warmth or coldness. Its not like we're human anymore, just the essence of what humans are. The cognitive leftovers of what we once were."

"But I guess there are things you miss," Harold said, "Family. Friends. How do you deal with stuff like that? I can't imagine it at all."

"You just move on," Misty explained, "As the years go on it becomes easier to ignore what you feel. It's worse when you become attached to living people and they move on."

"Did you leave anyone behind?" Harold asked.

"It's more like, they left me behind," Misty replied, "That's all anyone seems to do."

"I'm sorry," but the voice wasn't Harold's. Paul was stood in the doorway. Misty looked at him and blinked. She offered Paul a smile.

"Why are you sorry?" she asked, "You didn't do anything."

"Well, ghost, it's been nice for the chat," Harold said, "I wish I knew your name."

"It's Misty," Paul said. Harold froze. He looked around slowly before he chuckled.

"Been nice talking to you, Misty," Harold corrected, "See you around."

"Bye," Misty said with a wave. Harold glanced at where Misty was stood. He smiled at her and left the room with his mug in his hand. Misty looked at Paul. "Is something wrong?"

"Misty," Paul said in a serious manner, "You've always been the most mature out of others. Sometimes it's easy to forget that you're just as young as we are."

"I suppose," Misty said quietly, "But it's nothing, really."

"If you need anything," Paul told her.

"It's just so annoying," Misty snapped, "That we can't do anything. It's not so bad when we're doing something or something is going on. I just can't stand this silence. I miss it."

"Miss what?" Paul asked.

"Life," Misty replied. She let out a sigh. "You wouldn't understand."

"I'm fortunate," Paul said slowly, "That everything I want is here for me so I don't miss… life. But I can understand why you miss it. It is infuriating for you. I wish I could do more for you."

"It's fine," Misty said. Paul gave her a nod before he turned to walk out of the room. "Dawn."

Paul paused and glanced over his shoulder.

"She said she thought you were in danger the other night," Misty said, "But how could she know? I mean, Drew and I are connected but not to that extreme."

"She probably felt the presence of the other ghost," Paul replied, "Besides, Dawn and I are different to you and Drew."

"You mean that… You love each other?" Misty asked. Paul blinked a few times before he smirked.

"I doubt she loves me," he said before he floated away. Misty scowled as Paul retreated back to the library. Paul had everything he needed here. As long as he had Dawn, he was fine. He'd proven that back when Dawn was still alive. How he had fought to protect her. Once she was dead, the two had been fine. Their transitions to the afterlife were easy, unlike Drew's and Misty's. May's and Brendan's were a totally different matter. Maybe it was because they had each other, Misty thought. They had had each other and they still did. Paul could never deny that he did have feelings for Dawn, and Dawn… Misty had never asked about.

As if by some calling, Dawn appeared where Paul had been stood. Misty smiled at the younger ghost.

"Rusty's misbehaving," Dawn said, "He had Drew pinned against the wall in the library and won't let him go."

"Same old Rusty," Misty giggled. Dawn nodded. "Paul just left."

"Oh," Dawn said. She turned and walked out of the kitchen.

"Dawn?" Misty asked. Dawn floated back towards Misty. "Sorry but I want to know. Do you… Do you love Paul?"

Dawn blinked a few times. Misty was expecting the girl to laugh and tell her how stupid she was for thinking this but Dawn only remained silent. She was thinking hard about the answer. It was a simple yes or no question but Dawn was having trouble with it.

"He is my partner," Dawn said finally, "But I am his maid."

"Dawn, it's either yes or no," Misty snapped. Dawn thought about it some more. Slowly the blunette ghost rose up through the floorboards, disappearing from view. Misty let out a frustrated sigh before she made her way back to the library.

She needed something to keep her preoccupied, something like Paul and Dawn had. Then maybe she wouldn't feel so down whenever the house was quiet. She needed someone to love. She needed to fall in love with someone, then maybe she'd be happy. But how did one go about falling in love? How did it happen?

"I'm home," Ash's voice rang through the entrance hall. Misty paused as she looked over the lad. He was sweet and kind, plus he could see her. Misty watched as he took off his coat and put it on a coat hook. He looked round, confused at the silence. Misty opened her mouth slightly.

She had never been in love before. She had never had the time for it. But as she looked over Ash, she realised that maybe, just maybe she had everything she could hope to gain right there.

**Ooo so Misty is looking for some romance. While she have some or not? Next update will be on Saturday so not as long to wait. Please review.**

**RSx**


	14. The Plan

**So this is a chapter full of Ikarishipping… Kind of. I remember a review from someone who asked me what Dawn's item was and I am happy to say that this chapter reveals this :) Yay. Only took me fourteen chapters to get it in, but there's a reason for it.**

**Thanks to my reviewers: Etoile of the twilight, Foxgrl18, ninetailsgirl94, OffMyTea, BluBluBla, Livin'OnAPrayer, AnimexLuver4Ever, Starfire1407, XJessicaLeighX18 and splitheart1120. You guys are great :) **

**Chapter Fourteen: The Plan**

"Aha!" Harold shouted as he was sat at the dinning room table with a silver box in one hand, a screwdriver in the other. Ash and Vi looked up. The two had been doing some homework while their father attempted to open the box Ash had found ages ago in storage. Ash was still curious to what the contents were especially because Paul was so anxious to get it open too.

"Is it open?" Ash asked, excitedly. Harold slowly unclipped something and then pulled the box apart. It was finally open. Ash jumped up to see what was in the box. Harold was inspecting the contents with a bemused look on his face. Suddenly his mouth fell open. He tipped the box to one side and a stream of stuff fell out. Ash's face lit up.

There was the most beautiful sapphire ring with diamonds set around it. A pearl necklace lay next to it along with a fancy fountain pen, a tie pin, an odd cufflink with a ruby set into it, a few old coins and an odd little wooden box.

"Wow," Ash said, "No wonder Paul wanted this opened. Look at this stuff."

"What's that box thing?" Vi asked. Harold picked it up carefully and looked it over. It was small with a metal top and a small handle.

"It looks like a music box," Harold replied.

"Look at that," Ash said, pointing at the odd cufflink, "It must be worth a fortune."

"You think that's good?" Harold asked. He tipped the box over again and more stuff slipped out onto the table top. It was more jewellery and knickknacks. Each thing was coated in gold. It was amazing. "So why would Paul have all this stuff?"

"Not sure," Ash replied, "Although he said, don't expect gold and jewels before."

"Maybe he thought you'd be disappointed," Vi suggested.

"Maybe it's all fake," Harold muttered, "There's far too much here for a little boy to own."

"I've got to tell him," Ash said. He looked round excitedly for a few seconds. Vi let out a sigh as she picked up the music box. She looked over it carefully before she turned the handle. A few notes were played. Vi smiled. They sounded beautiful.

"Hey, Paul," Ash said suddenly. Vi jumped as she realised Paul was floating through the ceiling. His usually stern expression had been replaced by a worried look. He glanced round the room. "We opened that box. Look at all the stuff."

Paul floated down beside Vi and quickly turned to her. Harold, who was still sat in his chair, decided it was best to look at some of the jewellery while his kids seemingly talked to thin air.

"Why do you have so much stuff?" Ash asked, picking up a handful of gold chains. Paul didn't answer. He was too busy staring at the music box in Vi's hands. Vi was frozen on the spot as Paul looked down at it.

"Does it work?" he asked. He voice was oddly husky. Vi gulped before she turned the handle once more. A few more notes played. Paul snatched it from her hands and held it up. "Thank goodness it wasn't harmed."

"What about all this?" Ash asked. Paul looked over at the table.

"Do whatever you want with it," Paul replied, "I have no more use for it."

"Why is there so much? Were you hiding it?" Vi asked. Harold glanced up to see that the music box was floating in mid air. He let out a sigh before getting to his feet.

"There's a small fortune here," Harold said, "Back in the day this would have paid for… a lot of stuff."

"Not as much as I needed," Paul replied, "Another year and maybe I could have…"

"Could have what?" Ash asked.

"I was going to sell it," Paul explained, "And leave the house. I was going to get a small cottage in Yorkshire, away from my family so I could… live by my own means."

"But there's so much," Ash said, "You could have afforded two houses with some of this stuff."

"I didn't want to sell it before I knew for sure I had enough," Paul said, "It was just junk from the attics. No one missed it. Some of it was my inheritance from my grandmother."

"This ring is very expensive," Harold said, "That would have brought you a lot of money."

"Oh no," Paul said hurriedly, "I wasn't going to sell that. Maybe have the diamonds removed but not sell."

"Paul," Vi warned, "You're acting weird, like we've unearthed some of your dark, dark history. Now spill."

"Oh, so it's Paul you're talking to?" Harold asked.

"He was going to sell it all but that ring," Ash quickly explained, "But he's not saying why."

"Who did the music box belong too?" Vi asked. Paul frowned at her. The two had a staring contest for a few seconds until Paul became distracted by something.

"Wow, that's a lot of jewels," Dawn said as she floated across the room. She looked at them all, a little confused. She noticed the box on the table. "That's your box, Master Paul. Why does it have all this stuff in it?"

"He was going to sell it, apparently," Vi answered for Paul. Dawn shot a glare at Paul before she pointed at the sapphire ring.

"That was your grandmother's," she snapped, "It was her wedding ring. How could you sell it?"

"I wasn't going to sell that," Paul snapped back. Dawn put her hands on her hips.

"Why would you want to sell all this?" she asked, "You had plenty of money."

"I know I did," Paul replied, "It's just that I wanted to make sure that I had enough before I left."

Dawn's arms went limp suddenly. She stared wide eyed at Paul like he was some sort of alien.

"What's going on?" Harold asked.

"Erm.. Dawn is here and she looks like she's going to re-kill Paul," Ash replied. Harold stood once again.

"Now this is something I no part in," he said, "Let them have some privacy."

Vi and Ash nodded before they walked towards their father and left with him. As soon as Dawn heard the door shut she let out a sigh.

"You were going to leave?" she asked, "Why? You had everything you ever wanted here so why would you leave this for something else?"

"I had everything," Paul snapped, "But not the one thing I wanted. I was going to leave so I could have it."

"Oh really?" Dawn asked, "And what would that be?"

"You," Paul replied. Dawn blinked again before she took a few steps back. Paul ran a hand through his hair as he tried to compose himself.

"M-me?" Dawn asked, "But I'm just… I'm just a servant girl."

"Exactly why," Paul said, "I had to leave here."

"No," Dawn said, taking another step backwards, "No. You're my master. I would never…"

"Look," Paul said, opening his hand and showing Dawn the music box. Her eyes widened as she gazed over the small wooden box. She walked towards Paul. She reached out her hand and gently touched the wood. She took the box out of Paul's hands and held it carefully in her own.

"I thought it was lost forever," she muttered.

"I saved it from my brother," Paul replied, "When he took it off you. I could see it meant the whole world to you so I stole it from him. I was going to return it to you but… I never got the opportunity to."

"But why?" Dawn asked, "Why me? Why would you do this for me?"

"Why not?" Paul asked. He gently stroked her cheek with his right hand. "You were pretty and kind and in the need of help. I couldn't resist you. Before I knew it, I realise that there was no greater thing that I wanted apart from you."

"Master Paul," Dawn said quietly, "Why were you going to sell that stuff?"

"So I could buy a cottage," Paul replied, "In North Yorkshire out of the reach of my parents where… we could have lived together."

"And if I had refused?" Dawn asked, eying Paul. He smirked.

"Then I would have drugged you and carried you out over my shoulders," Paul replied. Dawn smiled at him.

"I could never have gone with you," she said. Paul put his hand on hers, clutching it tightly.

"I know," he agreed, "But I never had the chance to ask you. I was killed before I could even give you back your music box. I'm sorry but I couldn't get to it."

"No, thank you," Dawn said, "For looking after it for so long."

She moved her hands from his and threw her arms round his neck. His arms snapped around her waist, holding her tightly to his body. He never wanted to let her go. They held each other for a few minutes until they heard something strange. They parted and looked at the floor. Rusty was sniffing around their shoes. Dawn giggled at the dog before she turned back to Paul. He stared back at her.

"It was a stupid idea," he said finally.

"No, it was sweet," Dawn said, "But I had no idea that you felt this way."

"Stiff upper lip, remember?" Paul asked. Dawn laughed. She looked down at the floor for a few seconds, a scowl settling into her features. "What's wrong?"

"It is odd," Dawn explained slowly, "Because Misty asked me if I love you just the other day."

"She seemed a little down," Paul agreed.

"More than a little down," Dawn said slowly, "And now she's over the moon."

"That is odd," Paul muttered. The two ghosts thought about this for a few seconds. Rusty looked up at the two before sitting down. The dog glanced between them. He barked loudly causing Paul and Dawn to look down at him. Once all eyes were on him, Rusty wagged his tail.

"What?" Paul asked. Rusty stood up and barked again. Paul glanced at Dawn. She shrugged in reply. The dog didn't usually act so weird. Suddenly the dog was off, running through the house, barking loudly. "Someone must be at the door."

"The door?" Dawn asked sounding unsure, "Not more ghost hunters."

"Hopefully not," Paul said, "But we should investigate."

Dawn nodded in agreement but she walked behind Paul as they went to see who was at the door. Ash was inviting someone in as the two ghosts approached the main entrance. There was a boy crouched, taking his shoes off.

"So you're sure it's OK for me to hang here for a while?" the boy asked.

"Yeah, my mum said it was fine," Ash replied, "She thinks it's good that I've made a new friend."

The guy stood up and glanced around the room. Dawn was hiding behind Paul's shoulder with only her eyes and hair visible. Paul didn't seem to mind this. He was stood with his hands in his pockets, looking over the scene with interest. The guy looked over at the two. Dawn ducked behind Paul so she was completely hidden.

"That your brother?" the guy asked. Ash looked confused for a few seconds until he looked at Paul.

"I can't be," Paul replied calmly, "I've been dead a hundred years."

The boy let out a laugh. Ash smiled in a nervous sort of way. He rubbed his head as the other boy laughed some more.

"Erm… Gary," Ash said slowly.

"That's a good one," Gary said, ignoring Ash for the moment, "Since this house is supposed to be haunted."

Dawn peered over Paul's shoulder.

"This place is haunted?" Dawn asked, "I don't remember anything scaring me here and I've been here for a hundred years."

"I was born here," Paul agreed, "I would know if this place was haunted."

"That's true," Dawn said with a nod. Gary stopped laughing. He looked between the two ghosts, not noticing what they really were. The ghosts tilted their heads to one side. "He must be another one."

"Is it me or are there a lot more people able to see us now-a-days?" Paul asked Dawn. Dawn nodded.

"What do you mean 'see us'?" Gary asked, putting his hands on his hips, "And what's with the clothes?"

"I'm a maid, this is my uniform," Dawn said, stepping from behind Paul and pulling at the skirt of her dress.

"I like purple and waistcoats," Paul replied, "Why I am wearing this?"

"What do you mean, sir?" Dawn asked, floating in front of Paul.

"I was killed in my night ware, why am I wearing day clothes?" Paul asked, "Let alone my favourite outfit."

"That is a very good question," Dawn agreed, "But I'm not sure I can answer that, sir."

"It's never occurred to me before now," Paul went on, "You would expect me to be wearing my night clothes and not these clothes."

"I had my hair up," Dawn said, "But my hair is down."

"Yes you did," Paul said as he recalled Dawn's death, "You always had it up in a bun."

"Yes, sir," Dawn said with a nod, "It was very professional looking, sir."

There was a loud thump. Both ghosts looked over at Ash and Gary. Gary was on the floor. His eyes were closed and all the colour had drained from his face. Paul floated over to the boy and looked over him.

"He fainted," Paul stated.

"Oh my," Dawn gasped, "Shall I get some water?"

"That may be a good idea," Paul replied. Ash let out a sigh.

"Well, I did have one new friend," Ash said, folding his arms, "Now I'm back to zero."

"Don't be so pessimistic," Paul told Ash, "I'm sure you can count the imaginary ones as friends too."

Ash's mouth fell open as Paul smirked. Dawn clipped Paul on the arm, scowling at him. Paul glanced at her.

"What?" he asked.

"That's mean," she told him, "Besides, I'm still mad at you for the whole jewellery thing."

"Please don't lock yourself anywhere," Paul told her before he went walk off. Dawn's eyebrow twitched.

"It's not me who's going to be locked in a cupboard," she snapped. Paul glanced round before he slipped through the floorboards. Dawn hurried after him, looking as if she had just had the greatest idea ever.

Ash let out a sigh and looked down at Gary. This was going to take a lot of explaining.

**So yeah, Gary just fainted… erm… Yeah, let's just leave it at that. There's some stuff going on my blog about this fic soon about what's going to come and stuff so look out for it. It'll either be posted today or tomorrow with (hopefully) some more artwork too :) **

**Also, I hope people are enjoying the two updates a week. It's really good for me too because it makes me write more for this fic!**

**Please review!**

**RSx**


	15. The Switch

**Wow, is it update time again? Hehe. Glad to hear people are liking twice a week updates :) Thanks to my marvellous reviewers: ninetailsgirl94, OffMyTea, AnimexLuver4Ever, splitheart1120, lightwolfheart, XJessicaLeighX18, Starfire1407, Kira Clearwater and LuckyTigger.**

**Now I'll just take a moment to answer two questions.**

**To OffMyTea – There will be contestshipping eventually. I realised that I have very few May chapters so I'm writing more about her and where she is, Drew will follow.**

**And LuckyTigger – Gary and Leaf will be meeting soon and I'm just writing that part now. **

**Now on with the fic :) I don't own anything but the plot and Rusty.**

**Chapter Fifteen: The Switch**

Gary rubbed a cold pack on his head while Vi and Ash looked at him worriedly. He glanced between the two for a few minutes before he let out a sigh.

"So I can see ghosts?" he asked finally.

"It seems like it," Ash replied.

"It's really weird at first but it's not that scary," Vi assured Gary with a smile. Gary nodded slowly.

"DREW! GET BACK HERE!"

"That's May," Ash told Gary. Gary looked around nervously. "Drew may pop through in a few seconds."

Sure enough, Drew zoomed through the room a few seconds later with May not far behind. Gary blinked a few times before he looked at Ash, eyebrows raised.

"This is… different," he said. Ash smiled.

"There are five ghosts and one ghost dog," Ash explained, "They won't hurt you but they may annoy you."

"So the two in the hallway were ghosts?" Gary asked.

"Yeah, Dawn and Paul," Ash replied with a nod, "They're slightly odd."

"I could tell," Gary said.

"I heard that," Dawn's voice snapped. She rose out of the floorboards a few seconds. Gary jumped back slightly. She giggled at his reaction. She turned to Vi. "Vi, I do apologise."

"What for?" Vi asked.

"I seem to have locked Paul in your wardrobe without realising it," Dawn replied. Ash's jaw dropped. Drew faded through the wall looking just as shocked as Ash felt. May slowly drifted into the room, her anger at Drew seemingly forgotten. Everyone stared at Dawn like she was some sort of an alien.

"You've done what?" Drew asked.

"I locked Paul in Vi's wardrobe," Dawn replied, "I thought it may have been Ash's but I was mistaken. So I apologise in advance."

"Er… it's no… problem," Vi stuttered.

"Dawn?" May asked softly as she floated down next to Dawn. "How exactly did you lock Paul somewhere?"

"With a bit of difficulty," Dawn admitted. She seemed almost proud at the fact she had managed this. The other two ghosts looked horrified at what she had done. "What?"

"You locked Paul in a wardrobe!" Drew yelled, "He's going to be so mad at you!"

"If I let him out he might be," Dawn snapped, folding her arms over her chest.

Ash turned to Gary. Gary seemed quite intrigued as he watched the ghosts bicker. A small smile graced his lips as he watched Drew yell at Dawn a little more and as May tried to reason with Dawn. The blunette ghost ignored them. Finally another ghost entered the room.

"What's going on?" Misty asked.

"She's locked Paul in a wardrobe!" Drew yelled, pointing wildly at Dawn. Misty blinked a few times.

"WHAT?" she roared, "What possessed you to do that?"

"Calm down, Misty."

Dawn jumped as Paul rose through the floorboards beside her. He dusted off his jacket as if he was covered in something. He looked at Misty before he glanced at Drew and May.

"You… got out?" Drew asked.

"Please don't go crazy," May begged as she hid behind Drew. Misty took a few steps away from Paul, eying him as if he was going to do something dangerous. Paul rolled his eyes and turned to Dawn. She frowned at him.

"Seriously?" Paul snapped, "A girl's wardrobe?"

"You refused to go in Ash's," Dawn replied.

"I didn't realise I had a choice in the matter," Paul said. Dawn stuck her tongue out at him before she walked away from him. Paul let out a sigh. He looked at Gary. "Oh, he's awake now."

"Yeah," Gary said, rubbing his head, "Sorry about that."

"I haven't made anyone faint in years," Paul said with an air of nostalgia, "At least you didn't scream."

"Thanks… I guess," Gary said, "So why did she lock you in a wardrobe."

"Because she can," Paul replied.

"And because you're a jerk," Dawn added. Paul put his head in his hand while putting his other across his chest.

"I said I was sorry," Paul told her, "But for the minute can you _drop_ it?"

"Fine," Dawn replied, eying May and Drew carefully. She understood perfectly well why Paul wanted her to shut up about it. It was still a sore point for Drew and May. Misty shrugged and floated across the Ash.

"Have you had a good day?" she asked the teen. Ash jumped. He hadn't expected her to talk to her. He put his hand on his heart to slow it down.

"Yeah, it's been good," he replied.

"I've never been to school," Misty went on, "Is it fun?"

"Not really," Ash said, rubbing his head, "The make you work a lot."

"I would love to go to school with you," Misty said, "But I can't."

"Bring a ghost to school day?" Gary asked, stifling a laugh, "Sounds like fun."

"But we can't leave the house," Drew told Gary. Drew let out a sigh before he floated up through the ceiling. May paused for a few seconds before she looked round the room.

"Drew! Where's my photo frame!" she yelled suddenly before she zoomed through the ceiling after Drew. Paul looked at Misty.

"Misty," he said calmly, "It's your job to make sure they don't re-kill each other."

Misty looked at Paul absentmindedly for a few second before she nodded quickly. She floated through the ceiling without another word. Paul now turned to Dawn. She was scowling at him still.

"So what's up with you two?" Gary asked, leaning forwards. Paul and Dawn glared at each other before they both sighed.

"She's mad at me because I wanted to leave the house with her when I was alive," Paul replied.

"Wait," Ash snapped, "Back up there. You were going to leave the house… with Dawn?"

"One way or another," Paul said with a nod. Dawn floated round the room until she reached Vi.

"So you two are a couple?" Gary asked.

"No!" Dawn and Paul yelled.

"She's my maid!" Paul shouted pointing at Dawn.

"He's a jerk!" Dawn exclaimed. There was a slight pause before Dawn added calmly: "And my master."

"Thank you so much for that, Dawn," Paul sneered. Dawn shot him a dirty look.

"OK," Gary said, "This sounds like a common case of she likes me, she likes me not."

The four teens looked confused at this statement. Gary blinked before explaining himself.

"Basically, when two people fight like this without true provocation it means they are in denial," Gary explained slowly, "You see it in teens a lot. Sometimes it evolves into a proper romantic relationship but more commonly it develops into a hate relationship."

"So we'll either re-kill each other or re-kill each other?" Paul asked.

"I think that's what he said, Master Paul," Dawn agreed with a nod. Gary blinked a few times before he let out a loud laugh. Paul decided to ignore him for now. He turned to Dawn, waiting for her to yell at him some more. It took Dawn a few seconds to realise what Paul was doing.

"Oh, right," she said, "You were thinking about leaving? Are you insane?"

"No," Paul replied calmly, "And I haven't thought about leaving since."

"How can I trust that?" Dawn asked. Paul glanced at her before he blinked twice. He smirked at her. He put a hand on her shoulder.

"I am not going anywhere," Paul told her quietly. Dawn stared at Paul like she didn't believe him. Paul let out a sigh. He glanced at the other teens. "I think it's time that I told you about Brendan."

"Brendan?" Ash asked, adjusting himself in his seat.

"I wish Leaf were here to listen to this too," Dawn muttered. Ash pulled out his cell phone. He clicked a few buttons before rising it to his ear. He waited for a few seconds before talking into it.

"Hey Leaf. How's it going?" he asked airily.

"OK," Dawn muttered, "Is that a phone?"

"Yeah," Vi said, "It's called a mobile."

"Cool," Dawn said.

Ash put the phone on the floor and looked up at Paul.

"Right, Leaf's ready to listen too," Ash told him. Paul nodded.

"This is weird," Paul said, "Are we sure Leaf can hear us?"

"Hi, Paul!" Leaf screamed from the phone. Dawn smiled at Paul as his eyes widened in surprise.

"Right, now we know that," Paul said aside to himself, "Let me tell you how May died…

**Yeah, horrible cliff hanger but the chapter was just too long otherwise! Gah! Don't worry you don't have to wait a long time for the next update :) Please review!**

**RSx**


	16. The War

**So here is the next part after the horrible cliff hanger last chapter. Thanks to OffMyTea, ninetailsgirl94, Luna-of-Black-Roses, XJessicaLeighX18, Jiaohua de yi, splitheart1120, lightwolfheart, LuckyTigger, Starfire1407 and lonewolfgirl-sademo588 for reviewing. Thanks guys!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon.**

_Italics _= Memory

**Chapter Sixteen: The War**

_There was a war raging outside the house on a particularly cold December morning. Paul was sat on the roof of the house with an air of worry around him. The house was in danger. If it was to be destroyed then the ghosts may disappear too. This worried Paul beyond anything he would admit to anyone._

_He watched as bombs fell closer to the house, leaving a stream of fire trailing behind it. He could hear the sirens from the village. The constant whirring of the alarm, alerting everyone to their shelters. Everyone was hiding now. Even the wildlife seemed to sense the impending doom. Paul let out a sigh._

"_Master Paul," Dawn said, floating through the roof to join him, "You should come in sir."_

"_No," Paul replied quietly, "There's something going to happen tonight and I have to watch the house."_

"_Sir, you always keep the bombs away," Dawn said, sitting down on the iced tiles._

"_I have to," Paul told her. She sat in silence for a few seconds until there was a loud blast from the front of the house. Paul stood up quickly. This was it. _

_The house was cast in shadow as a German plane flew low overhead. He saw the glint of metal come down from the hull of the plane. He put his hands up, closing his eyes. There was a strong force that pushed the bomb over the house. It fell on the right side of the house, exploding loudly but not causing the house to be harmed. Paul let out a sigh. He froze when something else caught his eye. There was another glint as another bomb was released from another plane. Paul couldn't react fast enough, however the bomb seemingly froze in mid air. Paul looked across at Dawn. She had her hands up._

"_M-master… P-p-aul" she muttered. Paul rose his hands again, shooting the bomb away from the house. It exploded on the drive. Dawn stumbled to the side. Paul grabbed her to support her. _

"_Thank you," he muttered before he let Dawn sit down on the roof top. She held onto his hand as he looked around._

"_Master Paul?" she asked as he stepped away from her. He glanced at her. "What's going on?"_

"_They're awfully close tonight," Paul replied, "I should stay up here."_

"_I'll stay with you," Dawn said quietly. Paul nodded. There were a few more explosions in the village, but Paul didn't take any notice of this. He was too busy looking round at the house, making sure everything was alright. Dawn watched him a few seconds._

"_Why are they doing this?" Dawn asked, "Why do they try to kill each other?"_

_Paul glanced over at her before he walked to her side and sat down. He took her hand in his. Dawn didn't react to the small act of affection her master had just done, instead she was staring down at one of the five Anderson shelters in the garden. It was hard to believe that all the household could fit into those five shelters. The family remained inside the house. They were in the cellar rather than the shelters. Dawn had seen the shelter down there. It was nice and comfortable while the outside shelters were cramped and cold._

"_Why do the living try to kill each other? Don't they know that death is a horrible thing?" Dawn asked, looking at Paul, "I don't understand it at all."_

"_Pride," Paul replied calmly, "And justice. I would never let anyone harm you or the others."_

"_But you would never kill, right?" Dawn asked._

"_I could never promise not to," Paul said honestly, "It depends on circumstances, Dawn. If that is the only way I can keep you safe, then I would do it."_

"_Yes, sir," Dawn said. Paul put his arm round Dawn and pulled her into his body. She was struggling with all of this. She hated war. The last one wasn't so bad since it didn't hurt them but this war was terrible. Innocent people were dying in bombings that were happening almost daily. Children had been moved from the cities to houses in the country. Those children were often scared and wanted to return to their parents. Everyday was another tale of death, destruction and hopelessness. No wonder Dawn was feeling a little down. Paul gently stroked her arm. _

"_One day this will all be over," Paul told her, "And it will have disappeared like a nightmare."_

"_Thank you," Dawn muttered. She closed her eyes. She had her head leant on Paul's shoulder. Paul didn't say anything or even react to this. He stared down at the Anderson shelters. It was pretty silent down there to say. _

_The planes had passed now. They were bound for the next town. Paul felt himself relax. It was over for now. People stirred from the shelters. Paul watched them go back into the house. They would return to the norm for the next few hours. Paul looked at Dawn. She was still resting on him. _

"_Dawn, it's stopped," Paul told her. She nodded but didn't move. She held onto his arm tightly for a few seconds. Paul gently patted her hand. His attention slipped onto a loud explosion. There was a plane over head. Dawn jumped, clinging onto Paul for dear life. _

_Paul stood up slowly. There was a fire in the back garden. Paul floated down to the paved floor below. Dawn followed behind him, peering round him meekly. A bomb had hit one of the Anderson shelters. There was a fire. From the fire a boy stumbled out. His clothes were on fire and he was screaming loudly. _

_Dawn ran into Paul, holding him round his waist. Paul jumped at the sudden contact. _

"_Dawn, go into the house," he told Dawn. She nodded into his back before she let go and ran off. Paul walked towards the shelter where the boy was. He had collapsed on the floor. No more sounds were coming from his mouth. Paul eyed the boy carefully for a few seconds before he crouched down beside him. Paul rubbed his chin for a few seconds._

"_Brendan?" a voice asked from the Anderson shelter. Paul looked up to see a girl with brown hair stood in the flaming doorway of the shelter. Paul stood up quickly. "That bomb was pretty close. I thought it was over."_

_She walked out onto the lawn. She stared at Paul for a few seconds, tilting her head to one side._

"_Who are you?" she asked. Paul was about to speak when the guy on the floor began to move. He quickly stood up and began patting his arms like he was still on fire. The girl rushed forwards. "Brendan, are you OK?"_

"_Get the fire out," Brendan snapped. The girl grabbed Brendan and steadied him. _

"_But there's no fire," she told him softly. Brendan looked up at the girl in shock. He looked at his body to find that there was no fire or scorch marks. He let out a nervous laugh. Paul, however, was watching something different. He was staring at the floor beside the boy where the boy's actual body lay. _

"_So we're fine?" the boy asked. The girl nodded. "That's a relief. I thought we were gone for when I heard that crash."_

"_What was that anyway?" the girl asked, glancing behind her at the Anderson shelter. Metal shelter was wrecked. Flames spewed out of it with the tail end of a bomb sticking out of the fire. Paul waited for the teens to look at him once more. "We were lucky to get out."_

"_I don't think you were," Paul said finally. He pointed down at Brendan's body. The teens looked confused for a few seconds until Brendan seemed to realise. He leapt backwards, shielding his eyes. The girl turned and walked into the shelter. Through the flames she could see the head of the bomb buried into the ground. She could also see an arm and a leg. Hers. She gulped._

"_We're dead?" she asked. Paul nodded slowly._

"_No!" Brendan yelled, "It's not possible!"_

"_It is," Paul said calmly. He reached out and put his hand on Brendan's shoulder to calm him. "Calm down."_

"_Calm down?" Brendan asked loudly, "How am I supposed to calm down?"_

"It came clear to me that Brendan would be a hard ghost to handle," Paul told the teens. Dawn nodded in agreement. "He refused to acknowledge the fact that he was dead. He tried to continue his routine as if at any minute he would turn back to human and go about his life."

"But as the year went on," Dawn continued, "He became more and more restless. A few more servants were recruited to the war effort and soon the house became seemingly empty."

"He would never be settled," Paul went on. Paul took this opportunity to float round the room as if he was thinking about something. Dawn looked at the teens.

"During this time, Drew had decided to help Brendan get through his death," Dawn explained, "So Drew would pretty much follow Brendan around, talk to him, make sure he was OK but that wasn't even enough for Brendan. It was almost like he couldn't manage being here."

"And what happened then?" Vi asked. Paul and Dawn looked at each other.

"_Brendan!" May yelled as she ran through the garden. Brendan was a head of her. He didn't acknowledge that May was shouting him. It was late and the ghosts should have been resting. There had been a brutal bombing on the village that day and Paul was tired from protecting the house but he was following Brendan. _

"_May," Misty called the brunette ghost. Misty caught May's arm and pulled her backwards. May looked confused for a few seconds. "Paul will handle it."_

_Brendan was running through the trees, panting furiously. His panting was more out of habit than need since ghosts didn't need to breathe. He was fast but Paul and Rusty were hot on his tail._

"_Brendan, slow down," Paul snapped. Rusty barked in agreement. Brendan ignored him and continued to run through the trees. Behind him, Rusty turned to Paul and barked as if he was talking to Paul. Paul glanced at the dog._

"_I can't do that," Paul replied, "Too dangerous."_

_Rusty barked once again before he slowed down to a trot. Paul slowed to a walk. They were here. The boundary of the house. _

_Paul stopped at one side of the trees while Brendan was on the other side. Brendan glared at Paul. _

"_Brendan, it's almost morning, you need to come back," Paul said calmly. He held out his hand. "Come on."_

"_No!" Brendan yelled, "I'm never going back."_

"_You've got to come back," Paul told him, "Come back to your friends. We're your friends now."_

"_Never, I want my life back, I want to go back!" Brendan yelled. _

"_And how will this lead to your old life?" Paul asked. He took a step forwards but Rusty stopped him by pulling on his trouser leg. Paul glanced at the dog, understanding at once what was wrong. There was a strange quietness for a few seconds until Paul let out a sigh. "You don't know."_

"_I want this to end," Brendan said, "As soon as the sun rises, I will be gone."_

"_Brendan, think about this," Paul told him, forcefully, "Think about May, think about Drew, think about all of us. You can't just leave like this."_

"_I can and I will," Brendan snapped, "This is my life and mine to choose what to do."_

"_Brendan, come back here," Paul said, "Calm down and think about this."_

"_No you think about it," Brendan yelled, "How can you be happy in this place? You're all bound to this house and it will drive you insane! You're empty shells of the living. You've got nothing left in this world so why are you still here?"_

_Paul raised his chin slightly, eyes setting into a glare. Brendan looked totally insane. His eyes were wide. His hair was pointed out in various places. He was panting._

"_You're nothing but a shadow that will fade into nothing and no one will realise it," Brendan went on._

"_If it was anyone else," Paul said slowly, "You said this to then yes, you may have convinced them."_

_Brendan eyed Paul wearily as Paul smirked._

"_But I am Paul," Paul went on, "And I don't care what you think. You're wrong, Brendan, we are not shadows of our former selves. We're free. We may be chained to the house but we're free of everything else."_

"_For how long?" Brendan asked. Paul stared at Brendan before a small smile graced his lips._

"_As long as we want," Paul replied. Slowly Paul took a step backwards. Rusty glanced up at the purple haired teen weirdly for a few seconds before he followed the purple teen back to the house. Brendan paused as Paul walked away. _

"_Wait, where are you going?" Brendan asked loudly. Paul stopped and turned round._

"_We all have a choice," Paul told Brendan, "This is yours and this is mine. I make the most of what I have. What will you do?"_

_Brendan bit his lip but didn't move a muscle. Paul glanced down as the sun crept past his feet. He cast Brendan once final look. Brendan was stood stubbornly with his head held high. Paul smiled for a few seconds shortly before the sun hit Brendan's face. He blinked but refused to move. The sun brighter and brighter on him until he was glowing white. Within seconds he disappeared into the white glow. _

_Paul glanced down at Rusty. The dog was sat at his heel looking sadly at where Brendan had been. _

"_Let's get back to the others," Paul said._

"_Why didn't you help him?" Rusty asked. Paul paused before he looked down at the dog, his lips curling into a smirk. _

"_He helped himself," Paul replied, "Besides mutt, we humans are complicated things. It's better to allow us to do what we want than force us to do things we don't want to do."_

_The dog barked loudly._

"_Good boy," Paul said, "Now let's go."_

"When I found the others without Brendan, they instantly knew what he'd done," Paul said, "I can't tell you the depth of emotion they felt."

"So that's it?" Ash asked. Paul nodded. All through this Dawn had been floating peacefully on her knees. Now she stood up and walked to Paul.

"Wait one second," she said. Paul blinked a few times. He was expecting her to ask about the death of Brendan but what she said next made Paul, for the first time in his life –and afterlife- speechless.

"Rusty can talk?" Dawn asked.

**So a really weird cliff hanger there. Bet you didn't see that coming. **

**On a side note, I have finally caved and got myself a DeviantART account so if you have it, please find me :) My user name is the same as my fanfic so I'm easy to find :)**

**Please review!**

**RSx**


	17. The Dog

**Yes, I'm back with an update. Thanks to my reviewers Starfire1407, ninetailsgirl94, splitheart1120, Etoile of the twilight, Kira Clearwater, AnimexLuver4Ever, lonewolfgirl-sademo588, Luna-of-Black-Roses, OffMyTea, Jiaohua de yi and XJessicaLeighX18. Sorry this is a day late but I've had family stuff going on. **

**On a different note, Rocket Academy's sequel, The Puppet Master is now out so go and have a look!**

**Chapter Seventeen: The Dog**

Rusty stretched out in the sun on the back garden of the house. It was a pleasant day and he was wanting to enjoy it while he could. Things were bond to get weird again after a quiet period. Ghost hunters? What next? An army of ghost cats. Yes he would enjoy fending off ghost cats.

The dog looked up as Paul stepped into his sun light. The dog looked at Paul in a questioning way before Paul let out a sigh.

"Sorry, mutt, but you've been ratted out," Paul stated. The dog covered its nose with its paw, making Paul smirk. "Thankfully only Dawn knows."

The dog sat up and barked loudly, wagging its tail. Paul turned and walked back to the house.

~G~

If only it was a Saturday, Ash wished as he watched the sun shine high in the sky. Alas it was only Friday and Ash had to go to school. He let out a long sigh as Vi dragged him out of the house. From the driveway, largely unnoticed by all, sat Rusty who was watching the teen boy leave with his step-sister.

Once the pair were gone, the dog yawned and stretched. Today was too hot to do anything really. With all his fur, Rusty got slightly too hot when he laid out in the sun for too long but he could manage that today. So he sprawled out in the sun and closed his eyes. Now if only he could nap, that would be heaven.

No one really paid attention to the rust coloured dog which he found to be helpful. He rolled onto his stomach and rested his head in his paws as he thought about the day ahead. Maybe he would go and steal Drew's shoe after all. It was fun and Drew was a good sport. Drew always chased him. Paul was too stubborn to play the game and there was something just not right with stealing any of the girl's shoes. He couldn't figure out why.

Wagging his tail slightly, Rusty stood up and walked towards the house. He looked at the large front door and sniffed at the wood. It still smelt like it used to. There was something about the paint and the wood that made him think he was still alive. He walked through the door, literally, and padded into the entrance hall. The house was silent today. Nothing was happening. It was both a blessing and a curse. Where were the hordes of ghost cats? Rusty sneezed before he left the hall to go through to the kitchens.

There was one of the older living people there at this time. It was the older male named Harold. Harold was drinking his morning cup of coffee as he read the newspaper at the kitchen table. He was sat silently as he did this.

How was it that humans would drink such hot things when the sun was so warm outside? It didn't make sense to a dog, but then again not many things these humans did made sense. The dog looked around the kitchen. This was once the home to the cooks. They would feed him scraps once upon a time. He would sit on his back legs and beg and then someone would feed him the odd piece of meat. Those were the days.

The dog moved on to the first floor rooms. These were mostly empty but Rusty found them quite fun to frolic around in for a few seconds. He ran through them, snapping at the curtains and chasing his tail. He stopped to let out a few pants. Everything seemed bleak today. Where were all the others?

Rusty made his way to the library where he finally came upon the other five ghosts. He sat down on one of the rugs and put his head in his paws once again. None of the others were paying him any attention while they went about searching for something. Rusty didn't understand but then again he wouldn't. He was a dog after all.

He sat and he waited like he always did. It was a hard life being a dog and it was an even harder afterlife being a ghost dog. Rusty closed his eyes and laid there for a while. He was used to doing nothing. Since he was the oldest ghost out of the six of them, he knew exactly what to do on days like this.

He jumped slightly as a hand tickled behind his ear. He shot a glare up at Paul for disturbing his rest but the mood didn't last long. Paul picked up the dog and walked over to his chair. Rusty let out a breath as Paul sat down and began to stroke him gently. Paul was the softest stroker for some reason. Maybe it was because he was the master of this old house. Rusty yawned. Yes, that must the reason why.

"You found out anything else, Paul?" Drew asked brightly. Paul didn't even glance up from the book he was reading.

"Not in the five minutes since you last asked me," Paul replied. Drew grumbled something under his breath before he went back to looking at other book titles.

Rusty opened one eye as Drew floated back over to Paul five minutes later looking hopeful once again.

"You found out anything else, Paul?" Drew asked with the same sort of enthusiasm as before. Paul put down his book, glaring at Drew.

"No," Paul told him, "I assure you, when I find out something I shall tell you all."

"Oh, OK," Drew said before he floated off again. Paul watched the teen ghost float away before he went back to his book. Paul turned the page and started on a new one. After a few more pages Drew was back over by Paul's side.

"You found out anything else, Paul?" Drew asked. Paul rubbed his face as he put his book down.

"This is turning us into vegetables," Paul muttered. He looked at the hopeful face of Drew to the backs of the girls darted around the room. "We should take a break. Otherwise we'll all go mad."

"Finally," Misty groaned as she stretched, "It feels as though we've been here forever."

"It will be nice to have a rest I think," May agreed while she wiggled her fingers. Dawn was the only one who didn't stop working. While the other ghosts took no time at all in disappearing for a break, Dawn was the only one who kept on working. Paul shifted Rusty onto the seat while he went to check on Dawn.

"Dawn, everyone's taking a break," Paul told her. She turned round to face Paul.

"I know," she said, "But I want to keep on working."

"Come on," Paul said, extending his hand to her, "Just five minutes."

Dawn eyed his hand carefully before she let out a sigh.

"Fine," she said, taking his hand, "But only for a short while. We need to find out who this ghost is."

"I know that," Paul said as he led her into the centre of the room. She glanced up at him before she licked her lips. Rusty's head shot up as he watched the two teens interact. As the dog watched the teens talk to each other, their fingers interlaced with each others, he couldn't help but wonder what was going on between them. Slowly the dog put his head on his paws and went back to resting.

"So what have you found out so far?" Dawn asked.

"Nothing much," Paul replied honestly, "I think we're looking in the wrong direction."

"Really?" Dawn asked, "What are you thinking?"

"He had purple hair," Paul stated, "Which got me thinking that he may be a relative of mine."

"So everyone with purple hair is related to you?" Dawn asked while giving Paul a look. Paul smirked at her.

"No," he replied, "But if we look in the family history we could find out why he's attached to this house. Maybe he's the son who never inherited."

"Or maybe the son who tried to escape and failed," Dawn suggested, glaring at Paul. Paul's smirk vanished for a split second until he pulled Dawn into him. A smile replaced his smirk.

"You'll never let that go will you?" he asked.

"No," she replied. Paul chuckled darkly. Dawn rested her head on Paul's shoulder.

"We could have had a full life together, Dawn," Paul whispered in her ear. She glanced up at him.

"Now we have a full afterlife together," she replied. Paul grinned and nodded. Dawn broke away from Paul. She floated towards the chair where Rusty was sat before she turned to face Paul. "You're always so calm. How can you be that way?"

"It's my nature," Paul said with a shrug, "I don't see the point in running about."

"That's true," Dawn agreed, "You're not one for loosing your head. But this ghost you saw, you think he could be related to you?"

"Maybe," Paul said, "Could you check the family books?"

"You've checked them all already," Dawn replied, "There's only one book you haven't read."

"Which one is that?" Paul asked. Dawn pointed up to one of the shelves before she led him to it. There was one book missing from its place on the shelf. Paul and Dawn eyed it carefully.

"Did he move it?" Dawn asked.

"Who knows," Paul replied, "It looks like it was moved recently."

"So it may be in the house still?" Dawn asked. Paul thought for one moment before he looked at Dawn.

"Maybe the living have it," Paul suggested, "Ash or Vi."

"I'll go check Vi's room," Dawn said.

"And I'll check Ash's," Paul added before both ghosts dashed off in different directions.

Rusty stirred in his seat. He let out a long yawn before he curled up a little tighter and went back to resting his eyes. Teenage ghosts, so restless and hard to understand.

**So Rusty has his own chapter. I hope it was ok. I'm not sure when I will be updating again but hopefully it will be soon. Please review!**

**Also, there's a whole load of drawings on my DeviantART account so go and check them out!**

**RSx**


	18. The Book

**Why do all my chapters seem short this week? Why? I dunno *shrugs***

**Thanks to my brilliant reviewers! *band play expressive music here* Cake for all of these lovely people: lonewolfgirl-sademo58, lol, Jiaohua de yi, splitheart1120, ninetailsgirl94, LuckyTigger, Anon person thingy (not their real name but they didn't leave one), Lynx of the Sand, AnimexLuver4Ever, Starfire1407, RaveOn21now22, pokemonSLR and wowow. **

**It's just come to my attention that this story has had over 150 reviews! Thank you so much to everyone who had reviewed!**

**Chapter Eighteen: The Book**

When Ash got home that day from school he was hit by one of three things. First was his mother telling him that his room was a mess. Second was his oldest and most dearest friend jumping him in the hallway as she told him she was staying for the weekend. Lastly, and probably most frighteningly, was very angry blue haired ghost who had yelled at him for taking a book out of the house.

"Sorry," Ash said for the fifth time in three minutes as he dug in his bag for the book in question. Quickly he handed it over to Dawn and backed away from her. She glared at Ash one final time before she walked off into the deeper parts of the house.

"Wow," Leaf commented as Ash rubbed his head, "Dawn was sort of grumpy."

"She's been like that for a week or so ever since she fell out with Paul," Ash replied. He turned to face his best friend. "What are you doing here?"

"You sound like I'm not wanted," Leaf snapped playfully, "I finished my drawings of the ghosts so I decided to bring them for the museum."

"Great," Ash said brightly, "Can I have a look at them?"

"Sure," Leaf replied with a slight shrug, "I'll show everyone when they get home."

Before they could walk anywhere Paul appeared through a wall. He glanced round at the two teens.

"Hey, Paul," Leaf greeted, "How are things?"

"Hello, Leaf," Paul said, "Things are good around here. You're looking well."

"Thanks," Leaf said with a giggle.

"You just ran into Dawn?" Paul asked. Ash nodded. "Sorry. She's a little on edge at the moment. This ghost thing has got her worried."

"She told me off for taking a book out of the house," Ash replied, "It was totally mean."

"We think all the answers are in that book," Paul stated, "Where is she now?"

"She went that way," Leaf said, pointing in the direction Dawn had floated off in. Paul nodded and walked towards the door. Just as he reached the door way, Dawn came through the other side. The ghosts collided with each other but thankfully, Paul was able to keep them both up right.

"Wow," Leaf commented, "I always imagined that if ghosts walked into each other they'd go through each other."

"We're in the same state so that wouldn't happen," Paul replied. He turned to Dawn. "You have the book?"

"Here," Dawn said, handing Paul the book. Paul smiled at her as he opened it. He read at a much faster pace than a normal human would. Within seconds he turned the page. Then the next, then the next and so on. Dawn watched patiently. Slowly Leaf and Ash approached the two ghosts. Dawn looked at Leaf and smiled.

"Oh, hi Leaf," Dawn said, "I didn't see you before."

"No worries," Leaf replied.

"You're staying for a while?" Dawn asked hopefully.

"Only the weekend, I'm afraid," Leaf replied, "I've got school on Monday."

"Too bad," Dawn said. She glanced at Paul as he closed the book shut. He paused for a few seconds as he digested the information in his head. Everyone turned to him for an explanation. Paul didn't say anything for a little while. "Well?"

"Well nothing," Paul replied sharply. Dawn took the book off of him and opened it. She bit her lip for a few seconds before she handed it back to him. She sweat-dropped.

"I forgot, I can't read," she said sheepishly.

"I thought everyone had to go to school," Leaf said in horror.

"Well that's all complicated and everything," Dawn said in her defence, "I don't understand half of the words. I was taught simple things, like what 'bread' and 'water' were, not these horrible long words."

"I struggled a little too," Ash agreed. They turned to Paul. He was thinking about something. He was stroking his chin thoughtfully as if he was mulling over a few things in his brain.

After a few more minutes of waiting Ash grew more impatient.

"Well then?" Ash snapped, jerking Paul out of his thoughts. Paul was still silent.

"Paul, what's going on?" Dawn asked worriedly. She grabbed onto Paul's sleeve and looked pleadingly at him. He glanced at her. Slowly, he reached up and put his hand on hers.

"We need to find something," Paul said suddenly, "There's a notebook hidden somewhere in this house that will tell us everything."

"What do you mean?" Ash asked. Paul took a deep breath.

"There were two brothers who were due to inherit this house in the early 1700's," Paul explained, "But one day, they went to town and one of them was involved in an accident. When the other brother came here, he realised that his brother's ghost was haunting him. He wrote down everything about the hauntings and the house in a journal but that journal has been lost for years. If we could find it we could get to the bottom of this."

"I'm in," Dawn said with a nod. Paul gave her a funny look. "What?"

"If it's locked away then we won't be able to get to it," Paul replied. Dawn nodded slowly.

"Well that's simple then," Dawn said, "We'll search the house and anything we come across that we can't open we'll tell Ash and Leaf about and they can open it."

"Sounds like a good plan," Leaf said. Paul nodded. He floated up into the air and looked down at the others.

"I'll tell the others to start searching," Paul told them, "Dawn stay with them so I can come and find you later."

"Right," Dawn said with a nod. Paul lingered for a second before he zoomed out of the room. Dawn turned to Leaf and Ash. "What were you two going to do now?"

"Oh, my drawings," Leaf said as she hurried out of the room. Ash and Dawn shrugged at each other before they ran to catch up with her.

Leaf walked into the kitchen where all her stuff was piled by the kitchen table. She instantly dove for her large square picture bag. Dawn looked at it questionably for a few seconds until Leaf opened it.

"You have bags for drawings?" Dawn asked.

"I use them for art projects at school to make sure the pictures don't get creased," Leaf explained quickly. She pulled out several large pieces of paper. "These are all the drawings I did of you guys."

Ash pulled a face when he looked at the first picture. It looked like a family portrait with him, Vi, Reggie, his mother and Harold all posing as if they were in a Victorian picture. Leaf laughed at his expression.

"That's for your mother," Leaf said, "But these are the ghosts."

Dawn gasped as she looked at the collection of pictures Leaf drew of her friends and her.

"So do you like them?" Leaf asked. Dawn slowly looked up at Leaf. Her smile was the only answer that Leaf needed.

**Sort chapter. Couldn't resist the ghosts walking into each other. Hehe. I may be updating on Saturday but not sure if I will be able to do anything that day so if no update Saturday then I'll try for Sunday instead. **

**Please Review!**

**RSx**


	19. The Search

**So yes, I managed to update today. Woo!**

**Thanks to LuckyTigger, Lynx of the Sand, Jiaohua de yi, ninetailsgirl94, Etoile of the twilight, splitheart1120 and Starfire1407 for reviewing.** **Now on with the next chapter, keeping in mind I don't own Pokémon :)**

**Chapter Nineteen: The Search**

It was a mad frenzy. There was no other way to describe it. Ash, Leaf and Vi waited patiently as the ghosts swept the house for something that couldn't be opened. The three teens were sat in Ash's room playing a card game while the ghosts zoomed in and out of walls.

"Uno," Ash said suddenly. Vi put down a pick up four cards card to which Leaf did the same. Ash frowned as he picked up eight cards, grumbling under his breath. The girls smirked at each other.

"So how long will this take?" Leaf asked, "I mean this house is pretty big so how long will it take to search it all?"

"I have no idea," Ash replied, "But they seem to be quite eager to find the box or whatever it is."

"They've even got the dog on it," Vi added sounding quite amused. Leaf smiled while Ash looked over his cards. Finally he placed down a red five card and smirked across at Vi. She simply put down a yellow five card and glanced at Leaf. Leaf put down another yellow card.

"What are they planning to find anyway?" Leaf asked, "It can't be _the_ answers."

"Something close I would think," Vi replied, "Otherwise Paul wouldn't be so adamant about finding it."

"That's true," Leaf agreed.

"OW!" Drew's voice echoed in the roof above the teens. He fell through the ceiling before falling through their card game a few seconds later. The teens stopped for a moment debating whether or not they had just seen what they thought they had seen.

"OK," Ash said slowly, "That's new."

Misty's head stuck her head through the ceiling, blinking a few times before she floated down to the teens.

"Was that Drew I just heard yell ow?" she asked. The teens nodded.

"He fell through the floor," Vi told the ghost. They paused as they expected Drew to float back to the room to tell them what happened to him. Drew didn't appear. Misty frowned before she sank through the floor boards. The teens got up too and made their way downstairs. They could hear Rusty barking in one of the rooms. Ash led them to the door of the dinning room where they paused.

"Drew?" they heard Misty call after a few seconds, "Where are you?"

"What's wrong?" Paul asked from the other side of the door.

"Drew fell through the floorboards," Misty explained.

Ash opened the door and looked around carefully. The ghosts had crowded round in the dinning room, looking quite mystified at Drew's disappearance. Leaf and Vi shuffled into the room behind Ash, not quite knowing how Paul would react to this. Paul was stood in a thinking pose while the others looked at him.

"Let me try something," he said suddenly. He faded through the floor. The other ghosts looked round nervously for a few seconds.

"I wonder what's going on," May said worriedly. Ash and the others walked over to the ghosts and waited with them. Leaf looked around nervously for a few seconds.

"Can anyone hear tha-"

She didn't get to finish her sentence because the floor the teens were stood on suddenly swung down. The teens tumbled down a thin staircase, wrapping themselves in the old rug that was over the floorboards.

"OW!" Ash yelled as he fought to get out of the rug.

"Ash!" Vi yelled, "That's my hair!"

"Ow, that's my foot Ash," Leaf snapped.

"Get it out of my face then," Ash replied, "OW!"

"Oh, hi Paul," Dawn greeted her partner as she floated down the secret passage. Paul flicked his hand and the rug flew off the teens. They stopped fighting each other and got to their feet.

"Thanks," Ash said to Paul with a smile.

"Where are we?" Leaf asked as she looked around the damp space they were stood in.

"Wow," Misty said as she floated down the stairs with May behind her, "I never knew there was a secret passage down here."

"Drew?" Paul barked.

"Yo!" Drew replied from down a thin corridor. He floated into view, looking confused to why everyone had appeared. "Hey look what I found. It's like a house under a house."

"Wow," Ash said as he ran down the corridor and threw Drew. Drew let out a yelp as Ash ran through him.

"Hey," Drew snapped, "Do you know how weird it is to have someone walk through you. It makes me go all…freaky."

He shivered violently before he turned back to the ghosts.

"This is weird," Dawn said, "I never knew this was here."

"Neither did I," Paul agreed. He walked to join Ash down the corridor. The ghosts followed after Leaf and Vi. Paul stopped once he reached a large room decorated in an elegant fashion.

"This is weird," Ash commented as he searched round the nice room. There were cupboards and bookshelves round the edge of the room with a writing desk in front of a stone fireplace. There was a large chandelier in the room with half burnt candles on it. The walls were painted blue and gold. In the centre of the room there was a larger table with eight chairs round it.

Paul glanced around before he walked over to the fireplace. He glanced round it a few times before he reached into the chimney. He pulled something out of it, a black soot covered box.

"Wow," Drew said, "You found it."

"Yeah," Paul said slowly, "It's locked."

"Wow," Leaf commented, "That was easy."

Paul put the box on the table top. He waited for Ash to step forwards to see if he could open the box. Ash looked at the box for a while until he glanced at Paul.

"There's no lock," Ash stated. Paul rolled his eyes and turned the box over to reveal a nice ornamented lock on the side of the box. Ash made a small 'o' shape with his mouth before he looked carefully at the box.

"You know, the chances of that box exploding if you touch it are very slim," Paul stated as Ash craned his neck round the box to get a better look round the other side of it. Ash paused before he realised Paul was correct.

"Sure," he said as he picked it up, "It's slightly heavy."

"It must be a book," Leaf said happily.

"Yeah, but I can't get this lock undone," Ash said, "Maybe there's a key somewhere round here."

The ghosts glided round the room in search of a key while Leaf and Vi glanced around.

"Maybe a hair pin will do it," Ash suggested, glancing at his friend and step-sister in hopes of something. Both girls shook their heads. Vi looked down at her top suddenly and then at Leaf's top.

"You got wired?" Vi asked. Leaf looked confused before she clued into what Vi was asking. "I wear sports ones."

"I got a wire," Leaf said. She glanced at Ash. "Look away."

"Er… Nope, not going to ask," Ash said as he closed his eyes and put his hands over them to make sure. He heard Leaf complain at something and Vi giggle.

"Ah-a," Leaf said triumphantly, "There's one."

"We only need one," Vi told her.

"But know it feels weird," Leaf moaned. There was a slight pause. "Now we have two. You can look now Ash."

Ash opened and uncovered his eyes to find two pieces of metal on the table. They were short and curved. Ash reached for one and set to work trying to do the lock. The girls crowded round him to see how well he was doing.

"Oh come here," Vi snapped after a few minutes of Ash failing. She swiped the wire and the box from her step-brother. Within a few seconds they heard a click noise and the box opened.

"Wow," Leaf cooed, "That's neat, Vi."

"I know," Vi replied, "I learnt it while in the Girl Guides."

"OK," Ash said loudly, "Remind me to hide things really well from Vi in the future."

"What's in the box, then?" Leaf asked as Vi opened it fully. She reached in and pulled out a simple leather bound book. Ash took the box off of Vi as she struggled to open the leather ribbon that tied the book close. After a few seconds the book was open. The book was hand written and in blue ink. Vi looked up.

"Guys," she said, "We've found it."

**Sorry if you were slightly disturbed by the whole Vi/Leaf thing. Had to be done. Anyway… I've posted a sneak peak on my blog for both Akari and Harmony of White Roses so go and have a nosey if you can't wait until the next update. Find it here without the space between blogspot. and com:**

**. **

**Please review!**

**RSx**


	20. The Tear

**Glad so many people liked the last chapter :) I thought some people may have complained at the wire thing but no one did. **

**Thanks to ninetailsgirl94, LuckyTigger, OffMyTea, Foxgrl18 (so nice to hear from you btw :)), lanamere, Jiaohua de yi, Lynx of the Sand, Starfire1407, Kira Clearwater, Etoile of the twilight, splitheart1120 and XJessicaLeighX18 for reviewing!**

**I just wanna answer some questions.**

**Starfire1407: Sure you can use the idea :) It's something that can be applied to the strangest of circumstances lol.**

**Lynx of the Sand: I'm working on your request from a few chapters ago. Sorry I haven't done it yet!**

**And lanamere: I wasn't going to put Pokémon into this story but you did spark an idea in my head so there will be some later :)**

**Now, on with the story!**

**Chapter Twenty: The Tear**

They left Paul reading in the attic since he'd been in a foul mood ever since finding the book. It was Dawn who'd suggested that they should leave him alone to read and no one had argued with her. The ghosts went back to their usual routine. Drew stole May's photo frame, May chased Drew, Misty was violent towards Drew, Drew moaned at being hurt, Rusty stole Drew's shoe, May found her photo frame, Drew got his shoe back and peace was restored in the house for ten minutes.

Ash watched this unfold while he dug into a bag of salt and vinegar crisps. There was nothing more to do for the ghosts until Paul decided to make an entrance with some news on the book. Leaf and Vi were giggling about something but Ash wasn't listening. It was better not to get involved when girls talked like this.

"And he's so cute," Vi was telling Leaf, "Like he has spiky brown hair and this wicked cool smile."

"Really?" Leaf asked. Vi nodded.

"He's awesome," Vi went on, "He showed me around school on my second day when I got lost and offered to buy me lunch one day. How cool is that?"

"Wait," Ash snapped, cluing into the conversation, "You're talking about Gary?"

"Yeah," Vi replied to her step-brother. His mouth fell open slightly.

"You have a crush on Gary?" Ash asked.

"No," Vi told Ash with a stern tone in her voice. She wagged a finger at her step-brother too just to re-enforce the idea. "Gary's just a good friend."

"Besides, Ash," Leaf said, "Why would you care?"

"What do you mean?" Ash asked in a confused way. The girls glanced at each other before they looked back at Ash.

"Well… Vi is your step-sister," Leaf explained, "And it's not like you're the protective older brother."

"So you shouldn't care who I like," Vi concluded. Ash folded his arms and pouted at his sister. Vi rolled her eyes. "Stop acting like a jealous child, Ash."

"I'm not jealous," Ash told her, "And I'm not a child."

Leaf laughed as the two step siblings entered an argument. She watched them for a few seconds until she noticed that Misty had entered the room.

"What's going on?" Misty asked.

"They're arguing," Leaf replied.

"I can see that," Misty said, "But what about?"

"Vi thinks Ash is acting all jealous like," Leaf explained airily. Misty's eyes widened before she leaned closer towards Leaf. She swore her heart was beating faster. Who was Ash jealous of? Why was he jealous? Was it because of something she had done? She hovered around Leaf for a few seconds until Leaf let out a short laugh. "It's nothing really."

"No please," Misty said, "Tell me."

"Well… OK," Leaf said with a nod, "Ash is jealous of Gary."

"The brunette with the spiky hair?" Misty asked looking slightly confused. What did he have to do with any of it?

"Yeah because Vi was just telling me how cool and nice he is," Leaf explained. Misty nodded slowly.

"So why would Ash be jealous of Gary?" Misty asked.

"Because Ash thinks that Vi likes him," Leaf replied.

"Oh," Misty said quietly, "But he's her step-brother. Why should he care?"

"I don't care," Ash snapped in reply to Misty's question.

"Fine then," Vi said with a lofty shrug, "When I find out who you have a crush on I will act moody just like you are being."

"I'm not being moody," Ash barked.

"Yes, you are," Vi corrected him. She smirked at her step-brother as he growled. "Don't deny it, Ash."

"I don't have anything to deny," Ash said.

"Geez, Ash, you're such a kid," Vi said, "It's not like it's weird having a crush on someone. It's natural."

"I don't have a crush on anyone," Ash snapped. Leaf laughed loudly.

"Sounds like it," Leaf said, "You sound like you're in denial."

"Yeah," Vi agreed with a laugh. Ash bit his lip and stared at the floor. Misty smiled and walked over to him.

"It's OK, Ash," Misty told him softly, "Everyone has someone they like."

"I suppose so," Ash muttered. Vi jumped closer to Ash.

"Who is she?" Vi asked, "Or who is he? Whichever, I want to know."

"Know?" Ash asked, "Know what?"

"Who you like," Vi replied, "Come on, tell me her name."

"Vi," Leaf said, "That's not very nice."

"It's so obvious that he has a crush on someone though," Vi said, "And I want to know who it is!"

"There's no one," Ash replied, cheeks slowly going pink. Vi glared at him. "Honestly, it's no one."

"Tell me, tell me," Vi sang.

Misty watched on. Her heart was pounding in her chest. Why was Ash so reluctant to answer such a question? Was it because the person he liked was present? Her heart did a back flip. Maybe it was her. He couldn't have a crush on Vi because she was his step-sister. He didn't show any interest in Leaf apart from her being his best friend. That meant there was only one other person: her.

"Misty," Drew's voice didn't even register in Misty's head, "You OK? You seem to be really weird."

Leaf glanced at the two ghosts. Drew looked concerned as Misty stared at Ash. Drew poked Misty a few times but there was no response. Leaf frowned for a second. Why was Misty acting so weird suddenly? It was almost like she was staring at Ash with admiration. Oh no.

"Vi, quit it," Leaf said, trying to stop Vi annoying Ash. It was no use. Vi was chanting 'tell me' at Ash. Ash was scowling at her as he became increasingly annoyed at her. Leaf looked round in a panicked way. How could she end this? Drew was talking to Misty once again.

"Misty, what's going on? It's like your heart's having an attack," Drew was saying, "What's wrong? Tell me."

"Tell me, tell me, tell me," Vi was singing.

"Vi, please stop it," Leaf pleaded, "Please."

"Fine!" Ash yelled suddenly as he got to his feet. The room fell instantly quiet as everyone looked at Ash. "I'll tell you who I like if you want to know so badly."

"Ash, no," Leaf snapped.

"It's you," Ash yelled pointing at Vi. Vi blinked a few times as Ash pointed at her, his cheeks red. She was speechless.

"Ash," Leaf scolded.

"Misty, what's wrong?" Drew asked. Leaf and Ash turned to look at Misty. Her mouth was slightly open, her eyes wide. Drew was shaking her gently. "Misty? Misty?"

Her eyes closed and her face scrunched up. She hugged herself tightly. Drew stood back and looked over her. He was worried sick about her.

"Misty?" he asked again but this time his voice trembled with fear. Leaf bit her lip. What was going to happen now?

"Drew? What's wrong?" May rushed into the room with Dawn not far behind her. Dawn looked from Drew to Misty. She gasped.

"Misty? What's wrong?" Dawn asked as she floated to Misty's side. Misty remained quiet. Tears trickled down her cheeks. Dawn smiled slightly as she put her arms round Misty's shoulder. "It's OK. Please don't cry. Everything will be fine."

"I… Can't take it," Misty muttered. Dawn tilted her head to one side in confusion.

"Take what?" Dawn asked. Misty opened her eyes and glared at Dawn. Dawn jumped back a few feet as if Misty had shocked her. Misty cast May a dark look before she ran out of the room.

"Misty!" May yelled.

"Stop!" Dawn shouted. The two others ran out of the room. Drew stood transfixed on the spot for a few seconds before he looked round hurriedly.

"No, she's going to do it," he muttered before he shot upwards into the attic.

Paul was calmly reading in his chair with Rusty on his lap. The dog was asleep. Paul rolled his eyes as Drew flew into the room but his expression darkened when he saw Drew's face. The green haired ghost was gasping like he had run ten miles. His face was whiter than usual and his hair was a mess. There was something wrong. Rusty stirred from his sleep to look up at Drew.

"Paul," Drew said, "It's Misty. She's going to do it."

**Yes, a cliff hanger. Please don't hate me for it. I feel as though I'm going to get a lot of complaints from this chapter ^_^' but I bet none of you saw this coming, right? **

**Please review!**

**RSx**


	21. The Race

**Sorry for the lateness of this chapter. I went to a party and my parents said we would be back for ten o'clock. At twenty to twelve we actually left so I do apologise.**

**Anyway… Thanks to IgglybuffPichuandOrcha3000, OffMyTea, TheEvilShuppetMaster, SushiLuver25, ninetailsgirl94, treatybirdcage, Lynx of the Sand, splitheart1120 and Lizard Lover for reviewing.**

**Chapter Twenty-One: The Race**

"Do what, Drew?" Paul asked in his usual calm voice. Rusty glanced between his master and Drew. Something was very wrong indeed.

"She took off," Drew explained hurriedly, "She was upset about something so she's gone. May and Dawn went after-"

"What?" Paul snapped. He jumped out of his chair and sprinted off. Drew and Rusty followed without a moment's pause.

They flew through the house towards the front door where Leaf and Ash were stood arguing. Vi was stood a short distance behind Leaf, eying her step-brother oddly.

"It wasn't my fault," Ash was saying, "I didn't know anything about this."

"I told you not to say anything," Leaf snapped, "Now she's upset."

"Out of my way," Paul barked as he strode past them. The teens looked at him, startled at his appearance.

"We're coming too," Ash said. Paul stopped and turned to face Ash. Leaf took a few steps backwards at Paul's expression. She'd never seen him look so angry. He was scary when he was angry. Ash shuddered. He was scared too.

"You've done enough," Paul told him sharply.

"But I want to help!" Ash yelled. Paul flicked his hands out. Both Leaf and Ash were propelled backwards in a sharp and powerful gust of wind. Leaf landed on the carpet on her back while Ash crashed into Vi, sending them both into a pile on the floor. Paul turned round.

"Drew stay here," he ordered before he ran off once more. Drew nodded and stood shaken on the spot. Rusty sat by Drew's heel.

"It's OK, Rusty," Drew told the dog, "Paul knows what he's doing. Everything will be fine."

The dog barked in agreement.

"We're too close to the boundary," May said to Dawn as they chased Misty, "If we go too far, we're dead."

Dawn nodded: "Stay here."

"But I can't let you go alone," May snapped, "I can't let this happen again."

"It won't," Dawn replied, "I won't let it so stay here."

May stopped running. She came to a stop and watched as Dawn went ahead with Misty not too far in front of her. May stood awkwardly on the spot, hands on her heart.

"Please, Dawn, please save Misty," May prayed.

"May."

May turned to see Paul running towards her. She let out a sigh of relief before she pointed in the direction of Dawn. Paul nodded and set off at a fast sprint towards them. May bit her lip. There was the all too real possibility that they could loose three people today and May couldn't stand that.

"Misty please slow down," Dawn yelled to Misty, "Misty! Stop!"

A strong gust of wind pulled them both backwards, knocking both of them to the floor. Dawn looked around. Misty was on her stomach beside her. Dawn grabbed her, pinning her to the floor.

"Let me go, Dawn!" Misty cried, "I want to die. Please let me go!"

"No! I can't let you do that!" Dawn shouted back. She glanced up to see Paul walking briskly towards them. His face showed his relief. He'd stopped them before they'd gone too far.

"Misty," Paul said calmly, "Please calm down."

"I won't!" Misty yelled, glaring up at Paul, "I want it to end, why won't you let it?"

"Misty, please listen to Paul," Dawn pleaded. She looked up at Paul.

"Let her go, Dawn," Paul said softly. Dawn nodded as she got off Misty. She was half expecting Misty to run off again but she didn't. The orange haired ghost remained on the floor crying her eyes out. "Get up, Misty."

Slowly, Misty climbed to her feet. She was still crying. She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand as she stared at Paul.

"Seventy-five yards," Paul pointed in front of them, "That's where the boundary is."

"Paul," Dawn gasped. Paul ignored her for the moment.

"If you really want to die, go ahead," Paul went on, "But if you don't want to, the house is this way."

"I want to die," Misty hiccupped through her tears, "It horrible. My heart is… is… it's broken."

"I know," Paul said with a knowing nod. He took a step towards her, opening up his arms. "But that's how you feel now. The heart is a very sturdy thing. It'll mend in time, Misty. You're strong, you can heal in no time."

Misty burst into full blown tears once again, covering her eyes with her hands. Paul walked forwards and helped her into his arms. He hugged her tightly for a few seconds before she grabbed him and hugged him back. She buried her head in his chest and cried even harder.

"Hush," Paul whispered to her, "It'll be OK."

He glanced to Dawn who was smiling at him with a proud air around her. He nodded slightly to tell her to join them. Dawn walked behind Misty and hugged her, resting her head on Misty's shoulder.

If any one had walked past them, they would have thought the scene was a little odd. A purple haired gentleman in Edwardian fashion stood hugging a gypsy with bright orange hair while his maid joined in, yes that would surely be a strange sight to see. Thankfully Paul remembered the fact he was a ghost, that they were all ghosts. He glanced at Dawn. She looked up at him and smiled before she mouthed the words 'thank you' at him. He nodded. Misty continued to weep in his chest. It would be a hard thing for her to do but worth it all the same.

They all knew that when they returned to the house, Dawn holding her up while Paul walked at a casual distance on her other side, Misty will have already started her long road to recovery.

**So I'm not so mean. Teehee. This scene was one of the original ideas I had for the fic and I managed to get it in! Yay for me!**

**Anyway, please don't forget to review.**

**RSx**


	22. The Theory

**Well, I'm glad people liked the last chapter. Hehe. Thanks to ninetailsgirl94, treatybirdcahe, OffMyTea, Etoile of the twilight, TheEvilShuppetMaster, Lynx of the Sand, splitheart1120, Lizard Lover, lonewolfgirl-sademo588 and XJessicaLeighX18 for reviewing! Yay!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon.**

**p.s. sorry if this chapter seems a little odd :)**

**Chapter Twenty-Two: The Theory**

"It's hard for her you know," Dawn told Drew as the ghosts had a mini meeting later that night. Misty was still crying but she was in a different room. May was sat on the attic floor stroking Rusty. Paul was stood by the window looking out at the moon in the sky.

"I know that," Drew replied, "But I don't like it."

"None of us do," Paul said.

"I feel bad for Misty," May said softly, "She's always so strong. For her to become like this it worries me deeply."

"There's got to be something we can do," Dawn snapped. She looked to Paul for an answer but the purple haired ghost didn't seem to have one when he turned to look at Dawn. Her expression fell slightly when she knew she wasn't going to get an answer.

"I should have known something was up," Drew grumbled to himself, "I'm her partner. I should have known."

"It's sweet that you're taking this so hard," May said with a giggle. Drew shot her a glare. "She'd really appreciate knowing that you're there for her, Drew."

"I guess," Drew replied as he ran his hand through his hair. He paused as he realised his hair was a complete mess. He let out a yell before he began straightening it up.

"That's all we can do," Paul stated suddenly. He turned round sharply. "Let her know we're here for her."

"I hope that's enough," Dawn muttered.

"It will be," May said brightly, "This is Misty we're talking about. She may be all sad and crying now but she's still Misty."

"Wow, May," Drew said, "You can talk some sense sometimes."

"Shut it you," May snapped. Dawn allowed herself to laugh at the pair of ghosts. Paul smirked too.

"So, before May re-kills Drew," Dawn said to Paul, "What have you found out from the book?"

Paul glanced at Dawn and then the other two. May and Drew stopped arguing to look at their leader. All eyes were on Paul.

"There are meant to be eight of us," Paul said slowly, "So far there are six."

"Six?" Drew asked.

"Do I need to list everyone or can you count?" May snapped. Drew shot her a glare.

"Why does there need to be eight?" Dawn asked before Drew could retort to May.

"I'm not sure," Paul replied, "But they have to be human ghosts."

"Which means Rusty doesn't count?" Drew asked.

"I'm not sure," Paul replied, "Rusty is awfully human like. His thoughts are just as complex as a human's and his behaviour too."

"You did say he could talk," Dawn added. Paul nodded.

"It got me thinking about ghosts in general," Paul went on. A studious air seemed to descend around him. "Which brought me to the thought that ghosts are a mixture of physical, spiritual and mental traits, but we are still just representations of what we once were."

"OK," Drew said slowly, "I sort of understand that."

"But to whom?" May asked, "Representations of ourselves to whom?"

"Exactly," Paul replied, brandishing a finger at May. She blinked a few times before she began to think. "Because we aren't exactly how we once were."

"We're dead," Drew said airily, "Of course we're not exactly what we once were."

For this, Dawn slapped him round the head. Drew yelped and glided round the other side of May for protection.

"He does have a point though," May agreed.

"That's true," Paul said with a nod, "We've gained certain things. I mean, as selfish and spiteful as I was, I never had the qualities to be a leader."

"I never used to worry as much," May added.

"I guess I used to behave better," Drew said.

"But May did used to worry a whole lot," Dawn pointed out, "I remember that when she was alive she was always freaking out."

"Whenever we saw her with others she always freaked out," Paul corrected.

"Oh," Dawn said slowly, "I get it then. You're saying that whoever made us ghosts they made us as he saw us so we are the representations of ourselves."

"And Brendan," Paul prompted.

"Always kept to his room," Dawn said loudly, "So whoever it was didn't see him as much as the rest of us."

"So that's why he couldn't settle as a ghost," Paul went on, "And why he was driven to do what he did. This is only a theory of course."

"We've all change since we died. We've grown and had more experience," Dawn agreed, "So we wouldn't know if this was true or not."

"So what you're saying is for us to work out all of this we need a new ghost?" May asked.

Silence fell into the room.

"Take the grim silence as a yes," Drew said finally. May let out a sigh before she hit Drew over the head. "Ow!"

"The worst part of it is," Paul said, "I know who will be the next ghost."

"Really?" May asked, "That's great."

"No," Paul replied, "No it's not. What we have here is an opportunity to find out what we are doing here but at what cost? The life of an innocent person?"

"Yeah but if they're going to die then they're going to die, right?" Drew asked, "Whoever it is we can deal with it, right? As long as it's someone who we can get along with and won't go crackers I'm sure we won't mind."

Paul turned towards Drew, casting him a remorseful look. Drew looked stubbornly back at Paul deciding that this was the best thing to do. Paul glanced at May who was nodding in agreement with Drew. Dawn was the only other one shaking her head.

"Two against two," Paul muttered, "Well, it looks like you'll have to cast the vote, dog."

Rusty barked before he went and sat by Drew's feet. Paul let out another sigh before he nodded too.

"Then it's settled," Paul said, "We'll have to pursue this."

"Paul," Dawn muttered, "Aren't you going to-"

"No," Paul replied, "It's not fair to do that. We've made up our mind. We have to pursue this."

"Great," Drew said happily, "So we'll keep an eye out for a new ghost. I bet it will be Reggie."

"Yeah," May agreed, "Another family member would be good."

Dawn looked at Paul. He was staring out the window, his gaze full of sadness and guilt. Dawn walked over to him and put her hand on his shoulder before she hugged him from behind. She leant her head on his back as she looked over at Drew and May. Dawn knew exactly what Paul was thinking. They had just signed the death warrant for someone they never wished to harm.

"I'm so sorry, Leaf," Dawn muttered. She closed her eyes and buried her face in Paul's jacket so that no one could see her tears.

**Hehe, so the ghosts have a plan but will they manage to do it? And Misty is still upset. Don't worry, she'll come back stronger than before :)**

**Please review!**

**RSx**


	23. The Guilt

**Woo, it's Saturday! That means that it's time for an update! Yay! A quick note about updates this week. There will be three updates this week. This is the 1****st**** one and the rest will on Wednesday. Chapter Twenty-Five is so short I'm sort of embarrassed so I'm bunging it together with Chapter Twenty-Four. Hehe. **

**Anyway, thanks to my lovely reviewers: TheEvilShuppetMaster, Lizard Lover, OffMyTea, Lynx of the Sand, LuckyTigger, ninetailsgirl94, XJessicaLeighX18, Etoile of the twilight and splitheart1120 :) **

**Chapter Twenty-Three: The Guilt**

"So that's what you wanted to talk about is it?" Gary asked as Ash finished spilling his guts to his newly found friend. Gary let out a sigh. "This is a mess."

"So… What's your advice?" Ash asked. Gary folded his arms and closed his eyes in thought for a while. Ash waited patiently. This was a big deal for him. Ever since snapping at Vi yesterday, she had been distant and cold towards him. Leaf had seemed to side with Vi especially since what happened with Misty. Ash felt bad about that too. How was he supposed to know that the ghost girl had a crush on him?

"Ash." Ash turned round to look at Paul as the ghost materialised from the wall. Paul looked calmer today, back to his usual self it would seem. "I came to talk to you about something."

"O-OK," Ash stuttered. Gary opened one eye to look at Paul for a few seconds.

"I've managed to read through that book we found," Paul stated, staring Ash right in the eyes, "But there seems to be something odd in it."

"Really?" Ash asked, "What do you mean odd?"

"It mentions something called the Lazarus Theory," Paul said, "But I've never heard of it."

"The Lazarus Theory?" Gary repeated, "Well Lazarus was the guy in the bible who rose from the dead."

"I know that," Paul snapped. He folded his arms across his chest, scowling slightly. "I had the bible drilled into my head from the age of three. I knew where the name was from but it does nothing to explain this theory."

"The Lazarus Theory is an old theory," Ash explained before Gary could retort, "My dad did some work on it. Back in the old days, people used to think they could turn ghosts back into people. Of course it never worked. The Lazarus Theory is based on some sort of planetary alignment that's supposed to make ghosts shed their transparent forms and make them solid again."

"OK," Gary said, "How can stars do that?"

"It's like the moon," Paul replied calmly, "The moon can affect the earth due to gravity and the other planets must be the same."

"You know a lot about stars," Gary muttered.

"It's weird to think that when I died, Pluto hadn't even been discovered," Paul said.

"Well the Lazarus theory states that when the moon was close to the earth, ghosts would be able to become solid," Ash said, "As long as the ghosts were hit by purified moonlight."

"Sounds a little weird to me," Gary commented. Paul went back to his usual thinking pose with his hand on his chin.

"Why do you ask?" Ash asked finally. Paul glanced at him before he let out a sigh.

"It seems that whoever wrote that journal succeeded in making a ghost solid again," Paul replied.

"Say what?" Ash asked, slamming his hands on the floor of his bedroom, "So it is possible?"

"It seems so," Paul replied.

"That's great," Ash said happily, "How did they do it? Was it some sort of scientific thing?"

"All the journal said was the guy was able to make his brother solid for a few days after following the Lazarus Theory," Paul replied, "But while the brother was solid something else came out of the house and the brother was killed by a weird ghost that the writer went on to pursue for the rest of his life, it would seem."

"And the other ghost is?" Gary asked.

"The one who attacked me when the ghost hunters came here," Paul replied, "But what created this ghost and why would he attack Reggie and I? If he was after Reggie then I have no explanation but what if he sensed I was in solid form again and thought it would be best to kill me for his master plan."

"You know you have a lot of theories in that head of yours," Gary mumbled. Paul glanced at him.

"So you might be able to bait him out again," Ash said, "If he wants you all dead, then you turning solid again may make him come out."

"That's a possibility," Paul agreed, "But I will not bait him out."

"Why not?" Ash asked loudly, "Don't you want to know anything?"

"Of course I do," Paul snapped with a voice like pure ice. It made Ash shudder. Paul coughed to regain his composure. Gary glanced between the two before he waved his hand in the air.

"Is something bothering you, Paul?" Gary asked, "I mean you're usually composed. There must be something you're thinking about to make you snap like that."

"How can you tell?" Ash asked.

"My parents are psychiatrists," Gary replied airily, "I pick up a lot of stuff up from them. And from what I'm seeing and what I know, I think Paul is scared of loosing something, or someone. Think about it, Misty almost went out of the grounds and you already told me that's bad for you ghosts so that must have shaken you."

Ash looked at Paul like he was waiting for an answer but Paul was stood as if nothing was being said.

"Fine," Paul snapped, "What almost happened to Misty has shaken up everyone."

"There's something else," Gary muttered as he leant towards Paul. His eyes darted across Paul's face and then sized him up. "You're feeling guilty about something too."

There was a short pause as Gary continued to stare at Paul. Paul ignored the tension for a while but his temper soon got the better of him.

"Fine. It's my fault," Paul snapped, "I should have seen what was happening with her and I didn't. There, you happy?"

Ash and Gary jumped back in there seats as Paul's icy tone sent shivers down their spines. Paul was glaring at the pair with blank onyx eyes, daring them to ask anymore questions.

"Are you shouting again?"

Dawn's calm and sweet voice seemed to be a saviour to Ash and Gary as her head popped through the door. She blinked at Paul and she stepped into the room. Paul was still glaring at the boys to pay her any attention. He didn't look at her until he felt her arms round his waist. She was hugging him from behind again. He glanced over his shoulder.

"Sorry," he muttered. Dawn looked back at him.

"You've not been yourself recently," Dawn murmured, "I'm worried about you."

"Don't be," Paul told her. He rubbed his face with one hand. "I'm perfectly fine."

"So you two made up?" Ash asked.

"Shut up," Paul replied. The ghost waved his hand, knocking Ash backwards in a gust of wind. Ash let out a yelp as he almost skidded into the wall. Dawn raised her hand to stop Ash hitting the wall. Gary watched with a smirk on his face. Paul glanced at her again. "Your powers are coming along."

"Since when does she have powers?" Ash yelled as he sat up, "What's going on?"

"Nothing that I have to tell you about," Paul snapped. He broke away from Dawn and walked through the wall Ash had almost collided with. Dawn watched him disappear and let out a sigh.

"There's something you're not telling us," Ash said to Dawn. Dawn glared at him. Her eyes blazed with anger.

"Excuse me, boy," she snapped, "You are in what position to demand everything from us? After all that you've done I would have thought you should keep your head down for a short while."

"Hey, I'm sorry about the whole Misty thing," Ash yelled, "Honestly, I had no idea about that."

"Sorry's not good enough, let alone not to me," Dawn told him, "Tell Misty you're sorry and then maybe you two can put it behind you."

"I… I'm just worried about you guys," Ash muttered. Dawn stared at Ash for a few seconds before she let out another sigh.

"Don't be, we're fine," Dawn said, her soft tone returning, "It's just that… In pursue of answers we don't know what could happen. All we can do is apologise in advance for what may happen."

"What are you talking about?" Gary asked calmly.

"Nothing," Dawn replied, "I should go and find Paul before he hurts Drew or gets on Rusty's bad side."

She disappeared before Ash could ask her another question. Once she was gone, Ash turned to Gary.

"I've got a feeling that they're not telling us something," Ash said.

"I get that feeling too," Gary agreed.

**Another slightly confusing chapter, sorry guys but it will all make sense very soon… I hope. Hehe. Anyway, like I said double update on Wednesday so look out for it!**

**Two more things: I have put up a picture on my deviantArt account which contains spoilers for a few chapters time so if you wanna nosey please check it out. It can be found here:**

** . com/art/Good-Bye-251056057**

**And please review!**

**RSx**


	24. The Duo

**So this is the first part of my double update. Woo!**

**Big thanks to: nintailesgirl94, LuckyTigger, Lynx of the Sand, XJessicaLeighX18, splitheart1120 and lonewolfgirl-sademo588 for reviewing! **

**In this chapter we finally have Contestshipping. Yay!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon.**

**Chapter Twenty-Four: The Duo**

Drew popped his head through the wall of a small empty room. May was sat on the floor with her head buried in her knees.

"Hey," Drew called. May looked up and smiled weakly at him. Drew stepped into the room. "You OK?"

"Yeah," May replied sadly, "It just brought back memories, that's all."

"I know the feeling," Drew agreed with a slight smile on his face. He walked over to her and sat down opposite her, waiting for her to talk. May nodded in appreciation.

"We used to live in this room, Brianna and I," May explained looking around at the small room, "With Brendan and Harley in the room next door. We weren't liked very much for the family but the servants were always nice to us. In this room we used to play card games until the early hours of the morning without realising it. In the morning we'd be so tired that the cook would yell at us for being lazy."

"Cooks are often like that," Drew chuckled. May smiled at him for a moment but it soon faded.

"On my… On my final day, it was so ordinary," May went on, "I suppose I wanted it to be some great thing but it wasn't. It was just normal. I got up, I had breakfast, I helped around the house and then the sirens started and I went into the shelter. And when Brendan… when he left it was exactly like every other day."

"The most important days often start off as normal ones," Drew replied.

"You were sick," May told Drew, "Misty was travelling. Paul had a party. Dawn was seemingly cursed. But for Brendan and I, we got nothing."

Drew placed his hand on May's. The two looked at each other for a few seconds before Drew withdrew his hand from May's. He rubbed his head nervously for a few seconds.

"It was the same with Misty," May said finally, "And for a moment, just a moment, I thought we had lost her."

"I know," Drew said, "I thought we had too."

"I suppose it was different with Brendan," May laughed, "I knew we'd lost him."

Drew nodded grimly. The two sat in silence for a few seconds before they heard someone yell at the other end of the house. Drew frowned at the noise.

"That sounded like Paul," Drew muttered. May glanced in the direction of the sound. "He's not been himself lately."

"Everything must have caught up with him," May said, "He is the one who takes all the stress."

"I know but there's something more to it," Drew replied. May nodded.

"Luckily he has Dawn," May said with a smile, "He's happy as long as he's got her."

"They have been different too lately," Drew muttered, making May laugh.

"Despite your horribleness in always stealing my photo frame," May told Drew suddenly, "I'm glad I have you as my friend, Drew."

"Well, what else am I supposed to do?" Drew asked with a shrug, "How else am I supposed to stand up to the reputation of Brendan?"

"You're weird," May giggled, "But my mama always used to say that the boys who pick on you the most like you the most."

"What can I say? I'm guilty as charged," Drew said airily, flicking his hair coolly. May rolled her eyes at him.

"Sometimes I wish you were as cool and mature as Paul," May snapped playfully. Drew's expression fell. May giggled at this. She pushed him gently to the side. "But then you'd be grumpy too."

"Thanks," Drew moaned, "Here's me being nice and I get this thrown in my face."

"Oh boo hoo," May mocked. The two of them laughed for a few seconds until the sound of more yelling alerted them to something not being quite right in the house. May glanced nervously at Drew as he stood up. That yell didn't sound like Paul's voice. It was someone else's. Drew looked around nervously before he heard the voice again.

"YOU STUPID JERK!"

"It could be Dawn," Drew muttered, "If they've fallen out again."

"It didn't sound like Dawn," May replied, "It's not Misty either."

"Then who is it?" Drew asked.

"OW! HEY STOP IT!"

"GARY STOP YELLING!"

"LEAF, STOP KILLING GARY! ASH MOVE OUT OF THE WAY!"

"I CAN'T, LEAF WON'T LET ME!"

May and Drew pulled faces at each other before they went to investigate the source of the loud shouting. They quickly came across the four living teens in the doorway of Vi's room. Leaf was whacking Gary with a large book while Ash tried to stop her and Vi tried to pull her away from Gary. Gary was on his back on the floor, his hands raised to shield his eyes from being whacked out of his sockets.

"Stop it, Leaf," Ash snapped as Leaf clipped him round the ear.

"STUPID JERK!" Leaf roared at Gary.

"CRAZY LADY!" Gary yelled back.

"OK," Drew said, putting a hand on his hip and flicking his fringe back. May stared at the teens for a few seconds until she looked at Drew for some sort of answer. Drew merely shrugged as he continued to watch Leaf beat the pulp out of Ash and Gary.

"Should we help?" May asked Drew.

"I think we should get some popcorn and a camera," Drew replied, "We could make a hundred quid on 'You've Been Framed' or something."

"You watch too much TV with Harold," May retorted. Drew puffed out his chest in pride.

"I have learnt so much from that brilliant piece of 21st century machinery," Drew said, "Everything looks better in HD too."

May scowled at Drew for a few seconds. Finally, she lost her patience and punched Drew in the arm.

"Focus on this please," she told him. Drew rubbed his arm where May punched him, while wincing from the pain. May put her hands on her hips, thinking about how she could settle this without asking Paul or Dawn for help. Paul was not in the best mood to deal with this sort of thing at the minute. Unfortunately for the four fighting teens, their time had just come to a stop.

Before Drew or May could warn the others, Paul appeared and blasted them into Vi's room with a loud bang.

"OW!" they chorused in annoyance and pain as they landed on the hard floor. Paul walked through the wall of Vi's room and glared down at them.

"If you're going to make that much noise, then I will ask you to leave my house," he spat before he turned and left.

"What's with Paul?" Vi asked as she sat up and rubbed her head.

"Beats us," Ash replied, glancing at his step-sister, "He yelled at us earlier too."

"He's stressed," Drew explained, stepping into the room with his hands behind his head. May followed him with a small smile on her face. "He's been that way since we decided to allow the ghost to turn someone else into a ghost."

There was a short pause of silence as the four teens digested this bit of information. Leaf, who was half laid on Gary, raised her head with a confused expression on her face. Gary glanced at Leaf before sitting up and staring at the ghosts. Ash had his mouth wide open while Vi just stared wide eyed at them.

"No way," Leaf managed finally, "How could you decide that? If you make someone a ghost, you… you kill them."

Drew and May glanced at Leaf, then at each other.

"That's true," Drew replied.

"But everyone dies, right?" May said, "And if it's time for someone to die then no one can stop it."

"Yeah," Drew agreed, "And if they become a ghost with us then they'll never really die."

"We need to know why we are here and if we've changed since becoming ghosts," May explained, "Paul thinks that whoever makes us into ghosts only makes us as a representation of what we once were. Our personalities are changed from what we used to be into something this person thinks we are."

"Yeah," Drew back up May with a nod.

"And the easiest way to find out if this is true is to allow another ghost to appear," May went on.

"No," Ash snapped suddenly, "It's not OK."

"You can't sacrifice an innocent life for the sake of answers," Vi yelled. The ghosts looked down at Vi, offering her a comforting smile. "Who is it?"

"Pardon?" Drew asked, caught off guard with the question. Vi closed her eyes.

"Who's going to die? I have to know who it is," she barked, "I don't want to lose any of my family so tell me who it is!"

"We don't know," May replied honestly, "But Paul said he knew who it was."

"We should ask him then," Ash said. Vi nodded.

Leaf shuffled off of Gary slowly. She looked at the ghosts for a few seconds before she bit her lip. The others got to their feet but Leaf remained on the floor.

"Leaf, are you coming?" Vi asked.

"No, I'm going to stay here," Leaf replied, forcing a smile onto her face, "I don't want to upset Paul anymore than he is."

"Suit yourself," Ash said. Gary glanced at Leaf, offering her an apologetic smile before he followed Ash out of the room. Vi followed after the two guys with the ghosts closely behind her.

Leaf pulled her knees up to her chest and took in a deep breath. She buried her head in her knees for a few seconds, trying to calm herself down.

"It's me, isn't it?" she said, her voice oddly muffled by her knees. She knew that Paul or someone was stood behind her. She hoped it was Paul rather than Dawn but she figured if Paul knew who it was, then Dawn would too.

"Yes," Paul replied.

"And you're going to let me… you're going to let him?" Leaf asked.

"I'm sorry," Paul replied after a brief pause, "But that's why I'm here. I can't stand back and watch this happen."

Leaf lifted her head up and looked round at Paul. A few tears were in her eyes but she refused to let them roll down her cheeks. Paul was stood with his hands in his pocket, looking more relaxed than he did earlier.

"What are you going to do?" Leaf asked.

"I'm warning you, Leaf," he said slowly, "Don't come here ever again. Leave tonight and never return."

Leaf blinked a few times, confused to why Paul was telling her this. Slowly a smile spread across her face. She laughed at Paul for a few seconds.

"That's all you can say?" she asked, "Really?"

Paul smirked. He nodded a few times as Leaf stopped laughing at him. She slowly got to her feet and walked towards the purple haired ghost. She looked at him fondly for a few seconds.

"You're sweet," she said, "But you know I can't do that. I can't stay away. I've got too many friends here."

"I know," Paul said.

"To be honest, my life away from here is… lonely," Leaf admitted. She bowed her head. Her hands reached up and began to play with her hair. "I… I don't have many other friends. So I couldn't possibly leave here forever."

"I understand," Paul said. He reached forwards and gently put his hand on Leaf's shoulder. She glanced up at him when she felt the cold air on her shoulder. She offered him a smile.

"If there's one place I have to die… I want it to be here," she said. Paul nodded. "And if I can help you then I'll be really happy. I hope that I turn out good though, if I will be a representation of myself. I hope that I'm nice and happy."

"Nothing in the world would make you any different in anyone's eyes," Paul told her softly, "You're the most caring a selfless person I know, Leaf."

"Thanks, Paul," Leaf said, wiping her tears from her eyes. Leaf stepped back from Paul as she saw Dawn phase through the wall. Obviously she had been listening to the conversation because tears were rolling down her face. Leaf's bottom lip quivered as she saw Dawn's tears. Within seconds the two females had rushed to each other and 'embraced' each other. Paul looked on, eyebrows knitting together as he tried to work out how Dawn, the ghost, was now hugging Leaf, the human, very tightly. Paul shook his head, finally giving up on any scientific explanation. Women and their emotions… anything was possible really.

Paul stood watching the two girls cry into each other for a few seconds before he walked over to them and slowly slung his arms round their shoulders. He leant his head against Dawn's. As he let out a sigh, all his guilt seemed to disappear. Everything would turn out just fine.

"Should I even ask?"

That's when everyone turned to face the door.


	25. The Crazy

**And straight on with part two of my double update.**

**Chapter Twenty-Five: The Crazy**

"Should I ask?"

The three teens turned to face the doorway where Rusty was sat. His head was tilted to one side while his tongue hung out of his mouth. Dawn's mouth opened slightly as she saw the dog. Paul blinked a few times. Leaf's arms seemed to go limp as she realised that Rusty had just talked to her. The dog just continued to sit in the doorway, panting as if nothing was wrong. Finally, Leaf managed to say something.

"Erm… OK," Leaf said. She put her head in her right hand and walked towards the door with slow, deliberate steps. "I'm going to get myself something to drink. I'm hearing things."

She disappeared into the hallway, muttering to herself about being crazy, leaving Paul and Dawn to stare at Rusty. Paul didn't seem too bothered by Rusty talking to him but Dawn looked rather bemused. Rusty looked at her.

"Paul did tell you I spoke, right?" Rusty asked. Dawn nodded slowly. "Then you shouldn't be surprised."

Dawn turned to Paul, eyes wide in shock. She was biting her lips together. She made a humming sound. Paul nodded at her. She made a higher humming sound which made Paul nod at her again.

"This is too weird," Dawn gasped finally, "It's just so strange. The dog is talking to me!"

"Us, Dawn," Paul corrected, "You'd be crazy if he was only talking to you."

"Or…" Dawn said, "We're both crazy."

"True," Paul agreed. Rusty looked between the two ghost teens. "I can't really argue with that."

Rusty barked to get their attention. Dawn jumped at the sound of Rusty's bark. Suddenly the dog was acting rather… well, dog-like. This was too confusing, Dawn thought. She wished that Rusty would stick to talking or barking, not doing both since it made her wonder if she had heard him in the first place.

"You'll be glad to know that the other living kids are looking for you Paul," Rusty told Paul. Dawn tilted her head to one side. Rusty's voice was soft sounding with a little bit of excitement in his tone. His voice sounded young but it did seem to have a growl on a few syllables. "They seem rather mad. Drew and May are with them also."

"Fine," Paul snapped, running a hand through his hair. Rusty wagged his tail a few times before he barked loudly. With nothing left to say, the rust coloured spaniel trotted off back out the room, tail wagging gently as he went.

Dawn stared after the dog, finger to her lips. She slowly turned to look at Paul.

"He doesn't say much," she commented.

"No," Paul replied, "He's a canine of few words. Well, until it comes to cats and then he's some what of an expert."

"You talk to him often?" Dawn asked.

"Not if I don't have to," Paul replied, "After ninety years, having a dog talking to me is still pretty strange."

"I doubt it's something you get used to over a century," Dawn agreed.

"It's not like I can ask anyone else for advice either," Paul said.

There was a pause as the two ghosts stared at the empty door way.

"We're crazy, aren't we?" Dawn asked.

"Pretty much," Paul replied.

**I'm sorry, I just really liked this chapter as a stand alone one. It made me laugh so much that I thought it deserved to be one on its own. Hehe. Well I hope you've enjoyed the double update.**

**Until Saturday, people!**

**RSx**


	26. The Way Life's Meant To Be

**OK where did the hours 11, 12 and 1 disappear off to? Sorry, technically its Sunday here now and I'm running late, hehe.**

**Thanks to my reviewers: ****Etoile of the twilight, OffMyTea, Lynx of the Sand, lonewolfgirl-sademo588, LuckyTigger, ninetailsgirl94 and splitheart1120 :D**

**A quick note about this chapter: The lyrics I used are from my favourite album of all time… ironically it's called Time (by the Electric Light Orchestra). I love this song and thought it'd be nice to put in this fic. By the way, it's called 'The Way Life's Meant To Be'.**

**Chapter Twenty-Six: The Way Life's Meant To Be**

_Well I came a long way to be here today,_

_And I left you so long on this avenue._

_And here I stand in the strangest land,_

_Not knowing what to say or do._

_As I gaze around at these strangers in town,_

_I guess the only stranger is me._

_And I wonder, yes I wonder,_

_Is this the way life's meant to be?_

Leaf flicked a fly off of her painting in a bored way as Ash and Gary messed around on the grass in front of her. Vi was in the kitchen making lemonade or something. None of them seemed to notice that something was bothering Leaf. The usually happy, peppy girl was saddened by something. Her face was pale, her smile absent yet her knuckled headed friends didn't notice her.

She paused as she went to put her brush on the paper. A million thoughts stopped her painting for a split second but she soon fought against them and drew a smooth line on the paper. She began painting in a mindless sort of way, not really wanting to paint anything around her. This was simple mind work.

She stopped painting as she realised what the painting was turning out to be. Usually she would paint people or flowers when she painted stuff from her memory but today it was a scene. She glanced over it before going back to work. She added a few people into the drawing too.

"Hey, Leaf," Ash called her just as she was putting the finishing touches on one of the people, "Tea's ready."

"OK," Leaf replied. She didn't feel like eating but she put her paint brush away and left to join the others for tea. She didn't look back so she didn't notice the shadow that was looming over her almost completed picture. For a few seconds everything seemed to go still as the shadow stared into the picture.

"What ever you're doing, stop it," a voice barked. The shadow turned slowly, a wave of messy purple hair swaying with the head movement. A large grin crawled onto the shadow's face as he turned into full colour. He smiled down at the rust coloured ghost dog.

"Let's see you stop me," the shadow taunted, "I bet you can't."

"I can't but Paul will," Rusty growled. He bared his teeth in a menacing sort of way while the shadow merely laughed.

"Paul is a little fool," the shadow said, "Like you were, Edmund."

Rusty barked loudly as his temper disappeared. The shadow laughed loudly once again.

"So, you and the others will try to stand up to me? How cute," the shadow taunted, "Five teens and their pet dog? How laughable."

"Scooby Doo managed it," Rusty barked. The shadow didn't seem to get the joke and looked confused for a few seconds. "We'll beat you and I'll make sure of it."

"Edmund, Edmund, Edmund," the shadow said as he shook his head, "Your dear friend Humphrey loved his dog more than he ever paid attention to you. Fitting, don't you think that I made such a meddling boy into the one thing he hated: Rusty the Pampered Pooch?"

"You tried to kill my best friend," Rusty snapped, "And I couldn't let that happen. You should be warned, that I will make sure that Paul will bring you down."

"Lets see about that, shall we?" the shadow replied, "I mean, I know Paul is powerful as a ghost but don't you think I thought about that before hand? There are reasons why I chose each of the teens to fulfil my plans. Paul was strong and family. Drew made me laugh. Misty, well I pitied her. May was cute to mess with. And Dawn was just to keep Paul busy. I know fully well how much he loves her and love is the number one distraction. As for you, mutt, I should take your tongue out for challenging me like this. Unfortunately, I find all acts of violence against ghosts to be positively dull."

"Get out," Rusty told the shadow, "Unless you want Paul to come here."

"That little girl with the brown hair and green eyes is a unique creature," the shadow said, not paying attention to Rusty one bit, "Knowing that she is going to die, she still comes here. Some would call that bravery but I call that helpfulness. There is one thing I have to do before I can turn her though."

"And what is that?" Rusty hissed. The shadow looked down at the dog.

"You hissed like a cat," the shadow commented before he faded into nothing. Rusty looked around for him but there was nothing left. Rusty sniffed the floor but couldn't pick up the scent of the shadow ghost.

"Rusty? Rusty!" sang May from the door of the house, "Here boy! We're having a meeting!"

Rusty wagged his tail slightly as he bounded back towards the house. He paused at the door so he could cast a look over the garden one final time. May scooped him up into her arms.

"Come on, Rust," May said as she floated back into the house. Rusty pondered what the shadow had said for a few seconds before he decided he should probably tell Paul about what had transpired.

_Although it'd only a day since I was taken away_

_And left standing here looking in wonder_

_The ground at my feet maybe it's just the old street_

_But everything lies under._

_And when I see what they've done to the place that was home,_

_Shame is all that I feel._

_And I wonder, yes I wonder_

_Is this the way life's meant to be?_

"And you're telling me this, because?" Paul asked Drew as he failed to see what the point was. Drew's face dropped.

"Because it means a whole great deal to May, that's why!" Drew yelled. Paul went back to his newspaper, trying his best to ignore Drew's ramblings. He'd got it into his head that if Paul convinced the humans to paint the small room she once had with roses on the back wall, then May would finally realise that Drew did like her. Paul ignored it for one reason: May already knew and believed that Drew liked her. It was the reason he stole her photo frame so much and why she hadn't beaten him within a millimetre of his afterlife. For some reason, May got a laugh out of seeing Drew try and fail to win her affections. Paul welcomed this since he thought it was pretty funny to watch Drew get shot down.

"Drew, you're an idiot," Paul told the green haired ghost. Drew frowned slightly at this.

"Why am I an idiot?" Drew asked.

"Do you really want me to answer that?" Paul questioned. Drew paused again realising that he didn't want Paul to answer that question.

Dawn phased through the wall, glancing at the two male ghosts momentarily. She walked over to Paul's chair, glancing over his shoulder to see what he was reading.

"Don't you ever stop reading?" she asked.

"It was either read or listen to Drew," Paul replied. He folded up the newspaper and placed it on the floor. He stood up and walked a few paces round the room. Dawn followed him. Drew watched the couple interact for a few seconds before he decided to bite the bullet.

"So what is going on between you two anyway?" Drew asked. Paul and Dawn glanced back at Drew, their expressions showing their confusion. "Usually you're all like 'Master Paul' and 'Troublesome Maid' but you've been really weird lately. I know Paul's been a little stressy but why are you two suddenly acting… well normal?"

"Are you saying we're weird?" Dawn snapped. Drew jumped.

"No," he lied.

"We've not been too different," Dawn replied. She paused and looked at Paul. "Have we."

"Not really," Paul agreed.

"But… but…" Drew stuttered, "You're actually getting along!"

"Are we?" Dawn asked. Drew pouted.

"Fine, I'm going," he snapped, sinking through the floor seconds later. Paul gave a small chuckle once Drew was gone. Dawn turned to him.

"You didn't want to tell him?" Dawn asked.

"Not yet," Paul replied, "Since he was just moaning about May."

"Poor Misty," Dawn said suddenly, "I really wish there was another person here. For her, you know?"

"It doesn't work like that," Paul told her softly. Dawn nodded.

"Rusty's disappeared again," Dawn said suddenly, "He went off this afternoon as well. I wonder what's up."

"I never do know with dogs," Paul said, "Maybe he went to howl at the moon."

"I thought that was wolves," Dawn mumbled. Paul walked towards the window and glanced up at the sky. There was a bright full moon in the clear night sky. It was a perfect night for star watching. Dawn walked behind him. "What are you thinking?"

"Nothing," Paul replied, "Just admiring the sky."

"Leaf's down," Dawn stated, "I want to help her out but I don't know how."

"We're here," Paul replied, "If and when she needs us, we'll be waiting."

"That's true," Dawn agreed.

Paul turned round suddenly, his eyebrows knotted together. Dawn looked up at him.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"I'm not sure," he replied, "Stay here."

He walked through the floor. Dawn looked around the room a few times before she decided to follow him. She didn't want him to be alone just in case he found something or lost his temper again.

As she floated down into the first floor hall, she sensed something wrong. It was a strange presence again like she had felt the night Paul and Reggie had been attacked. If it was that ghost again then Dawn should follow Paul.

"Dawn? What's going on?" May asked, poking her head out of one of the rooms. Misty's head appeared not long after. Both girls looked confused.

"We heard Rusty barking downstairs," Misty added. Dawn nodded and faded through the floor. May and Misty glanced at each other, nodding once and following Dawn. The whole house was silent. The family was in bed. There was nothing moving at all. Dawn led the two other ghosts towards the thing she was sensing. They could hear Rusty barking like crazy somewhere deep within the house.

"What's going on?" Drew's voice asked loudly, making all three girls jump.

"Stop that!" May yelled at Drew.

"You scared us," Misty scolded him. Drew raised his hands in apology, smiling at them nervously. Dawn walked ahead. She entered the dinning room to find that Rusty was barking loudly on the floor. The other ghosts followed her into the room, stopping to see what was going on.

"Rusty," Dawn said, running towards the dog and picking him up.

"I thought I said to stay in the attic, Dawn," Paul snapped as he faded through the floor.

"We heard Rusty barking," Misty explained. The ghosts gather round to talk to each other. Paul didn't seem too pleased that they'd all appeared like this. Rusty was barking still. Dawn tried to calm him down but he wasn't having any of it.

"So what is going on?" Drew asked.

"It is a little weird," May agreed.

"I'm not sure what's wrong but Rusty is going berserk," Paul replied honestly, "I thought it was that other ghost but I can't find him…."

Paul turned round, eyes narrowing as he found what he was looking for. The shadow ghost was floating in mid air, glaring down at the collection of ghosts below him.

"Well, well," the ghost said, "I wanted to trap one ghost dog and I got the whole bundle. Oh well. Six for the price of one."

"What are you talking about?" Paul barked.

"I need you out of the way for a while," the ghost said, "But be sure to enjoy yourself."

"Paul?" Drew asked.

"Get out of here," Paul ordered. Before any of them could move the ghost held up a large lamp like thing. He raised it up so it caught the moon's rays.

_Too late, too late to cry the people say,_

_Too late for you, too late for me. _

_You've come so far now you now everything,_

_My friend._

_Just look and see the wonders of our world._

Paul opened his eyes a few minutes later, finding himself sprawled on the floor beside Dawn and Rusty. He sat up, rubbing his head. What was that thing? Slowly he got to his feet and walked two steps along the floor. He stopped.

Since when did he make a noise when walking? He stamped one foot on the ground. His shoe made a clicking noise on the floor. He looked at his hands. They looked normal to him.

"This is strange," he muttered. He turned as he heard the others moan. They were in various states of getting to their feet. Paul rushed over to help Dawn up. She smiled at him in a grateful sort of way.

"OK," Drew said, "I've had enough of that. What ever it was, I'm out of here."

He stood with his arms folded. He frowned for a second before he looked round.

"I said, I'm out of here," Drew repeated. He frowned again but nothing happened. "What the hell is wrong? Get out of here!"

"What are you trying to do, Drew?" May asked.

"I'm trying to fly out of here," Drew replied. He jumped up as high as he could. He collided with the floor a few seconds later as gravity came into effect. "Ow."

Paul walked towards the wall and put his hand on the cold plastered slab. His eyes widened in disbelief. He hit the walls a few times with his hands. He turned round quickly.

"Drew, think fast," Paul snapped. Drew flinched as Paul raised his hand in a threatening motion. Nothing happed.

"I can't phase through the floor," Misty said.

"What's going on?" May asked. Dawn walked towards one of the walls where a large mirror hung. She stood in front of it, gently stroking her hair.

"What ever that freak did to us, we can't use our powers," Drew said.

"Not even walk through walls," Misty added.

"But how can he do that? He must be really powerful," May cried.

Paul walked over to Dawn, standing beside her in front of the mirror. He looked over his features. When was the last time he had seen his face? 1908, on the night before he was killed. He hadn't changed one bit either.

"I don't think we're ghosts anymore," Dawn told the others, "But I don't know how."

"That's a big problem," Drew said.

"Erm… Is that Harold?" Misty asked, pointing at the doorway. The ghosts turned to look at the man stood with a base ball bat in his hands. He looked menacingly at the ghosts.

"Correction," Drew said, "This is a HUGE problem!"

_Just to see your face instead of this place,_

_Now I know what you mean to me._

_And I wonder, yes I wonder,_

_Is this the way life's meant to be?_

**So what will happen now for the ghosts? Now humans for a short while, what will they do next? And what is the deal with the other ghost and Rusty? Hmm… Well, you'll have to wait until the next update to find out. **

**By the way, I am working on an original project at the minute so I may be struggling to write stuff for this over the next couple of weeks. Sorry. Hopefully I've got until chapter 29 sorted. This is why I love pre-writing.**

**Please review!**

**RSx**


	27. The Life

**Sorry this is a day late. I went to Alton Towers yesterday (a theme park in the UK) and by the time I got home I was like the walking dead. 6 am start coupled with 3 hours sleep and 9 hours of walking round = me dead. **

**Thank you to all my reviewers: Lynx of the Sand, Goldengal12, OffMyTea, DevilAngel8, vaporeongirl2011, lonewofgirl-sademo588, ninetailsgirl94, LuckyTigger, AnimeandMangaLover16 and splitheart1120. **

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy this and I don't own anything to do with Pokémon.**

**Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Life**

"Who are you?" Harold yelled, "How did you get in here?"

"Erm… we can explain," Drew replied quickly, "Well, Paul can."

"Paul?" Harold asked, "That's it, I'm calling the police."

"Please, Mr Shinji," Dawn said hurriedly, "Don't call them. We're not sure how we're like this but we used to be the ghosts of this house."

There was a slight pause as Harold glared at them. He didn't seem too impressed with what Dawn had just said. He pointed the baseball bat threateningly at the five teens.

"This has gone too far. Who put you up to this?" Harold snapped. Dawn glanced round at Paul.

"Dad? Who are you threatening?"

"Vi! Tell him we're not crazy," Drew yelled, pointing at Harold. Vi appeared round the door, looking tired. She yawned as she looked back at her dad.

"Chill, dad," she said, "It's just the ghosts."

"Erm… Vi," Dawn said, "I don't think we're ghosts anymore."

"Oh," Vi said, yawning again, "Tell me in the morning. Good night."

She walked off, still yawning. The ghosts looked at Harold who seemed to share their confusion at Vi's actions. Had she heard everything that Dawn had just said or was she asleep? A few seconds later Vi returned.

"Wait… Did you say you're not ghosts anymore?" Vi asked.

"Yeah," Drew replied. Vi let out a scream.

"That's so weird!" she yelled.

~G~

"Oh Paul, you have got to try this," Drew told Paul as he tucked into his second lot of pancakes the next morning. Paul merely stared wide eyed at Drew as he scoffed down the pancakes.

"Eat as much as you like," Delia told Drew, "It must have been years since you last ate something."

"Don't eat too much," Paul warned, "Otherwise your stomach will explode."

"Really?" Drew asked. Paul nodded gravely.

"It's so nice to taste food again," May commented, "I can't remember the last time I ate."

"Same here," Misty agreed. Paul stared round at his fellow ghosts. They didn't look like ghosts at the minute. Drew was wearing some of Ash's clothes while the girls were wearing a mixture of Leaf's and Vi's. They looked slightly odd. Paul was wearing jeans and a shirt he had got from Reggie. He couldn't bring himself to wear sweat pants like Drew was. Paul sipped his cup of tea, savouring the taste before he swallowed. It tasted so nice on his tongue. How he missed tasting stuff.

"It's really nice looking after us, Mrs Shinji," Paul said to Delia as she sat down.

"It's Delia, Paul," Delia corrected him with a smile on her face, "Besides, you're no trouble. I love catering for loads of people."

"You're so great, Delia," May sang, "Ash and Vi and Reggie are so lucky to have someone who can cook as well as you can."

"Thank you May," Delia replied. Paul looked up as he heard Dawn laughing. She entered the kitchen with Leaf and Vi, wearing a pink summer's dress. Her hair was down and hanging free from her clips.

"Morning mum," Vi greeted Delia, "Morning everyone."

"Morning ghosties," Leaf laughed as she watched three of the ghosts chow down.

"Dawn, try this," Drew said, brandishing a fork loaded with pancake at the bluenette.

"And this," Misty said, "It's called cereal."

"I'll just have some bread and jam, if that's alright," Dawn said. She walked round the kitchen and helped herself. Delia smiled to herself as Vi and Leaf sat down.

"What would you two like?" Delia asked.

"I'll have scrambled egg and toast," Vi replied.

"Can I have some toast, please?" Leaf asked.

"I'll make it," Dawn said from the other end of the kitchen. Delia went to protest but Paul stopped her. "Master Paul, would you like me to make you some egg bread?"

"I'll help," Paul said as he stood up.

"You were banned from the kitchen, Paul," Dawn told him.

"I'm not going to cook, I learnt my lesson last time when I almost killed Cook Morris," Paul replied, "But I can help with other things."

"Fine, but don't get in my way," Dawn said.

Ash walked into the kitchen, yawning widely. He was wearing a pair of loose shorts and a t-shirt. He stopped at the door of the kitchen, looking round at the people crowded into the room. It seemed to hit him a few seconds later when he suddenly let out a yell.

"What's going on!" he yelled.

"The ghosts are having breakfast with us," Vi replied.

"And enjoying it," Drew added, "Pass the syrup."

"You act like you've never had pancakes before," Leaf laughed as she passed Drew a tin of golden syrup.

"I haven't," Drew replied, "I used to be a servant along time ago. I don't think the master ever asked for these cakes."

"Can I get you anything, Ash?" Dawn asked.

"Er… I'll just have a bacon sandwich," Ash replied. Ash eyed Paul carefully. Paul's new attire seemed to suit him perfectly. He looked like a real person from the village. Dawn seemed to be happy as she made breakfast for everyone.

"Seeing as you're human again," Leaf said, "Does this mean you can go into the village?"

"I don't see why not," Paul replied, "Rusty!"

The dog came running into the room, tail wagging like crazy. Paul fed the dog a piece of bacon.

"Don't spoil him too much," Delia warned Paul. Paul looked up at Delia, face purely innocent. Delia was a little put off by Paul's expression. "He'll get fat you see."

"He deserves a good treat though," Paul said, squatting beside the dog and rubbing his stomach in a playful manner.

"Not in the kitchen, Master Paul," Dawn scolded. Paul sighed as he stood up.

"I'd like to take him for a walk round the village later," Paul said, "Do you have a leash?"

"We can make one," Drew replied as Delia shook her head, "Just get a piece of string or rope and the job's a good 'un."

"I'd love to see the village again," May said.

"I bet it's changed so much since I was last there," Misty commented, "I mean, there was only two oil lamps back then."

"And no cars," Drew added.

"I wonder if they re-built those houses that got bombed," May muttered.

"I want to see the school," Misty said, "And the shops and the garden centre."

"Oh yeah," Drew said, "And the old well if its still there."

"Are the apple orchards still there?" May asked Vi.

"Calm down," Delia told the teens, "Eat up breakfast first."

As she said this, Dawn walked over holding three plates. She placed them on the table easily in front of Vi, Leaf and where Paul had been sat. She walked back to the cooker to get Ash's breakfast. Paul sat down in his chair and began to eat carefully.

"This is fantastic, Dawn," Vi said, "Just how I like my eggs."

"It's nothing," Dawn brushed off, "I am a maid of many talents. I didn't just clean. When Cook Morris was almost killed-" she glared at a smirking Paul for a few seconds "-I had to cook for a few weeks until a new cook was found."

"You almost killed a cook?" Ash asked.

"Something to do with heating up something very flammable and dangerous without realising it," Paul replied airily, "Mother never did get breakfast in bed from me and Eliza again."

"And I thought Ash was bad at cooking," Vi commented. Leaf giggled at this.

"I'm stuffed," Drew gasped, "Really, I don't think I can move."

"Sucks to be you, Drew," May replied, patting her stomach, "Bottomless belly as my friends used to say."

"Erf," Drew moaned as he slumped forwards onto the table leaving everyone else to laugh at him.

**So in the next chapter, the ghosts finally get to leave the house but what will happen then? Well, it's a lot closer to the next update day now so you won't have as long to wait :)**

**Please review!**

**RSx**


	28. The Good Bye

**Howdy guys. This chapter carries a tear warning. This was the first chapter I got into after my Gran died so if it's a little upsetting then I apologise. Still I think this is some of the best writing I've ever done… Well the later part anyway. **

**Thanks to the reviewers of the last chapter: OffMyTea, splitheart1120, ninetailsgirl94, lonewolfgirl-sademo588, Angelic Sakura Blossom, DevilAngel8P, LuckyTigger, AnimeandMangaLover16, Lynx of the Sand, Dark Queen and StarFire1407.**

**Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Good - Bye**

Rusty sniffed the tarmac in a strange way as a million new smells flooded his senses. For a dog, the feeling was almost euphoric. His nose was sniffing as much as he could manage without keeling over from the over consumption of oxygen.

"Stop pulling, Rusty," Ash said as he struggled to keep the dog under control on the homemade leash. Rusty paid the teen no attention.

"Wow," May yelled as they reached the village centre, "It's beautiful."

The village was still pretty old and quaint. A lot of the old houses were stood in pale stone. The centre of the village seemed to be a roundabout of paths with a tall statue in the centre of a flower bed. May and Misty ran up to the statue, reading the plaque on it.

"Joseph Shinji," May read to Misty, "For if it was not for him, this place would not have survived."

"Who is Joseph Shinji?" Misty asked Paul.

"My father," Paul replied, "He did something or other before I was born that saved the whole town. He never said what and no one talked about it either."

"Weird," Drew commented.

"Oh, look," May pointed across the road, "The bakery."

"Let's go," Misty giggled. The two girls ran across the road with Vi and Leaf behind them. Drew and Ash blanched as they saw the girls disappear. Paul looked up at the statue of his father blankly. He was stood with his hands in his pockets. Dawn stood beside him with her arm linked with his. She was looking up at the statue too.

"It seems like an eternity since I last heard his voice," Paul said to Dawn, "I miss him."

"We all have people we miss," Dawn agreed.

"Hi Mrs Wilson," Ash greeted someone. Paul and Dawn looked round to see Ash and Drew talking to an elderly woman.

"Hello Ash," Mrs Wilson greeted, "You have a lot of friends today. I don't think I've seen any of them before."

"I'm Drew Hayden, ma'am," Drew introduced himself, "I'm an old friend of Ash's from his old school."

"Very nice to meet you, Drew," Mrs Wilson replied, smiling at the boy. She turned to Paul, her eyes widening a little.

"Oh my," Mrs Wilson gasped, "You look just like him."

She pointed up at the statue.

"I'm Paul Shinji," Paul said quickly, "Vi and Reggie's cousin. I get that a lot."

"And I'm Dawn," Dawn said happily.

"Paul's girlfriend," Drew added, "Although he wouldn't admit it."

Dawn giggled as Paul rolled his eyes. Mrs Wilson chuckled slightly as she watched the teens bicker. The old woman bent over to stroke Rusty on the head.

"He's Rusty," Paul said, "My dog."

"He's lovely," Mrs Wilson commented. Paul patted his legs, making Rusty turn round and jump into Paul's arms. However, the dog seemed to forget that he was no longer a ghost and couldn't jump that high. He tumbled back to the floor. Paul picked the dog up, chuckling slightly at the failed attempt to jump into his arms. "Is he alright?"

"He's just a little off from travelling," Paul lied, "He'll be fine later."

"Hey, Ash!" Vi called as the girls returned from the bakery. Leaf was walking behind with May and Misty, chatting about something. "Oh, hello Mrs Wilson."

"Hello, Vi," Mrs Wilson said, "You have more friends I see."

The old lady turned her eyes onto Leaf, Misty and May. She gasped suddenly.

"M-May?" Mrs Wilson asked. May looked round at the old lady, her smile fading ever so slightly. There seemed to be a moment of silence between the two.

"Brianna?" May asked.

"Oh no," Ash muttered.

"Oh, it's so good to see you, Bre," May said happily as she stepped forwards to embrace the old woman.

"It really is you, isn't May?" Mrs Wilson asked, tears appearing in her eyes, "I thought you were dead. Oh, May, you look so young. Where have you been? I thought you were dead."

"I did die, Bre," May explained in a soft tone, "But I'm back for a while now."

"How? I don't understand," Mrs Wilson cried, hugging May tightly in her arms. May giggled slightly before she stroked Mrs Wilson's hair.

"It's a long story," May said, "Let's go and get a nice cup of tea so I can tell you it."

~G~

Paul didn't feel like talking to Brianna. He was walking with Ash, Dawn and Rusty through the town. Ash still had hold of Rusty's lead as they walked. Currently, Dawn and Ash were locked in conversation about something or another but Paul wasn't paying attention. Paul paused as they walked past the village cemetery. He glanced at his friends ahead of him before walking towards the gate of the cemetery. He walked along the rows of graves, pausing every now and again to watch people talking. Paul didn't know if they were there or ghosts and quite frankly, he didn't care.

He came to a large tomb near the back of the cemetery. The plaque on the door said Shinji. Slowly he pushed the door open and walked down some stairs until he reached a round room. He had been here only once before when his grandfather had died. They had buried him here. Paul walked towards the plaques on the walls. Sure enough, his grandfather was there.

Three plaques down, he was there.

Paul James Shinji

1891-1908

Beloved son and brother.

Stolen before his time.

Dearly missed.

He re-read the plaque a few times. He glanced either side of his plaque. Mary Shinji, his mother, was on one side while on the other was Eliza's tomb. On the other side of his mother was his father. Paul didn't read his parent's plaques because he knew what they said. They had died in the house in the 1930's. He had been there when they died, sat by their side. His sister was a different matter. He figured she was dead but he didn't know when it happened.

Elizabeth Shinji – Howden

1888-1965

Her family was her world,

A family who will miss her always.

"It's hard to see it all, isn't it?"

Paul glanced behind him but didn't look to see who it was. He leant his head on his sister's tomb.

"She had a good life you know. She travelled the world, had six kids, twenty grandchildren," Harold said, "We were very lucky to know her and very sad to lose her."

"How did she die?" Paul asked, "And I want the truth."

"Peacefully with her family round her," Harold said, "She began to fade a few days before she went. It was her time."

Paul turned to face Harold, leaning between his and his sister's tomb. He stared at the floor, eyes threatening to pour with tears. He tried to fight them. He did so by looking up at the ceiling.

"All this time, I knew she had gone," Paul said, "But now I know she is… Forty-six years late…"

"Better late than never," Harold chuckled, "She had a full brass band at the funeral. She demanded, literally on her deathbed, that we should have a dance at her funeral. Seventy-seven years old and she demanded that we danced."

"She loved to dance," Paul muttered, "Any opportunity she was given she would dance."

"She was buried with a ruby ring," Harold said, "She refused to take it off just because she thought someone might try to steal it."

"She loved rubies," Paul said. Harold regarded Paul oddly for a few seconds.

"She said her brother had given it to her on her eighteenth birthday," Harold explained, "That he said that rubies were lucky for her. For her twentieth birthday he bought her a matching necklace but she could never face wearing it."

"I died a month after her birthday," Paul replied, "I was barely seventeen when I died. The final conversation we had was about how one of the guests fancied me. I told her that the guest fancied my money and nothing else. She laughed and kissed me good night. The last time I saw her was when my mother died. Then she left for good."

"Paul," Harold said, "There's nothing you could do."

"I wish I could have talked to her one last time," Paul said. A tear fell from his eye. He quickly wiped it away. "Tell her, I love her very much and that I'm OK."

"Paul," Harold said seriously, "She knew you were OK. She knew you loved her. I'm not just saying that. On her death bed she kept looking round, muttering about someone being there. She wanted to go to the old house one final time to see someone but she was just too weak to go. She said she wanted to see her brother before she died, she wanted to say good bye. She told my father and me that when her parents had died she had seen her brother Paul sat holding his mother's hand and she knew that he was OK. She wanted him to know she was going too. She said if I ever saw him, if anyone ever saw him, then we should pass on a message to him."

"And what was it?" Paul asked. Harold took a step towards Paul. There was a pause before Harold clipped Paul round the head. Paul rubbed his head. "OW."

"That's for making me worry," Harold told Paul, smiling slightly as he obviously relayed the message, "But thank you for never leaving. I love you, Paul."

"Thanks," Paul replied, rubbing his head for a while longer.

"I'll leave you two alone," Harold said. He turned to leave.

"Harold," Paul called back, "Thank you. You don't know how much it means to me."

"No problem," Harold said. He left without another word. Paul looked back at his sister's tomb, his face set. He sat there for a few seconds staring at the plaque.

"I missed you a lot," Paul said, "Really, I mean that. You were always there for me and it hurt that I couldn't be there for you. I never got to say good bye to you but you knew exactly how I felt about you. I love you and I'll miss you everyday."

Slowly Paul walked towards the door of the mausoleum, closing it behind him as he left. He paused at the front door before he looked round. He saw someone stood in the graveyard who he recognised.

"Hey," Paul said, pointing at a woman wearing a maid's outfit. The woman looked up startled that someone was yelling. A few people looked up at Paul, shaking their heads at him. He walked towards the ghost maid, her eyes were wide as she saw him.

"Master Paul, what are you doing here? How are you alive?" the maid asked.

"You were killed at the house," Paul stated, "By that purple haired boy."

"Yes, sir," the maid replied with a bob, "I thought he was you, sir."

"Did he say who he was at all?" Paul asked.

"He said he was the Master," the maid replied, "Why, sir?"

"It's nothing really," Paul said.

"You came to pay respects to your parents?" the maid asked, "They had a lovely service as well as your sisters, sir. Even your own funeral was nice, sir. So why are you here?"

"It's weird, really," Paul replied, "I'm sorry I couldn't help you."

"Do not worry, sir," the maid said, "I never had much coming in life. I'm sorry, sir, but the sun is a little too strong for me."

"I understand," Paul said, standing to one side. The maid smiled at him before she pounced back into the ground, underneath a head stone. He read her name: Lily. Paul smiled to himself. "Thank you, Lily."

"You're welcome, sir," came a reply. Paul let out a chuckle before he walked to the entrance of the cemetery. He paused at the gate. He glanced round once again.

Stood by the door of the Shinji family tomb stood a most beautiful woman with long purple hair, wearing a knee length white dress with a purple ribbon round her waist. She waved at Paul as she smiled widely at him, a flash of red catching the sun from her middle finger.

Paul stopped doing everything. For a moment he even forgot to breathe. Slowly he smirked, raising his hand up before he turned and left completely.

**So hopefully you didn't tear up too much. There is a picture on Deviant Art of the end of this chapter if you want to check it out. Its URL thingy is: http:/ rosieshiba .deviantart .com /#/d45h03d without the spaces.**

**Please review!**

**RSx**


	29. The Feeling

**Well, I'm glad people liked the last chapter. Hehe.**

**Thanks to starfire1407, lonewolfgirl-sademo588, treatybirdcage, Lynx of the Sand, Etoile of the Light, splitheart1120, anon person and OffMyTea for reviewing!**

**No on with the next chapter. I don't own anything.**

**Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Feeling**

Dawn noticed how quiet Paul was that night when he returned to the house. After losing him in the village, Dawn had persuaded Ash to continue his tour rather than going to look for Paul. She figured he needed some alone time after seeing his father's statue. He'd disappeared shortly after finishing his dinner, well leaving half of it. Dawn decided it was time for her to look for him.

She walked up the stairs to the first floor. Where would he be? She pondered this for a few moments until she heard music blaring out from one of the rooms. She followed the music until she reached the library. Typical, Paul was in the library, she thought as she opened the door. She found Paul climbing a ladder that was up against a bookcase.

"Paul?" Dawn asked, glancing at a CD player near to the door. Ash had put it there some time back so that Vi and him could listen to music while they were doing their homework. The music was loud and weird, nothing like the music she knew. There was a heavy drum beat and loud guitars.

Paul glanced down at her.

"Are you alright?" he asked her.

"I should ask you that," she replied, "You've been so quiet since you got home."

"It's just stuff," Paul explained, "You know the emotional crap that my family did well to stamp out of me when I was young."

"Paul," Dawn scolded at the use of bad language. Her features softened as Paul climbed down the ladder. She could see he was saddened by something. "You can talk to me, you know."

"I know," Paul said. There was a grateful tone in his voice which made Dawn smile. She walked over to him. "But since when have I ever been open with my emotions?"

"That's true," Dawn admitted, "But I'm here. So remember that."

Paul nodded. He stepped towards Dawn and pulled her into a hug. Dawn hugged him tightly. They stood in each others embrace for a few minutes until they heard someone coming. Dawn pulled away from Paul, blushing like mad.

"You know this is terrible," Rusty mumbled as he trotted into the room. He looked sort of annoyed as he stumbled over the rug of the library. "Four paws. Why can't I use them?"

"You're not used to it," Paul assured the dog, "You're used to being a ghost dog, not a real dog."

Rusty looked up at Dawn and Paul. He sat down staring upwards with a look of sorrow in his eyes. Dawn walked over to the pooch and gave him a pet. The dog didn't seem to find any comfort in this though.

"Paul, Dawn," Rusty said seriously, "I have something I must tell you."

"What is it?" Dawn asked kindly. She smiled at the dog to show she was listening. Rusty opened his mouth to speak but Drew barged in the room. The green haired boy paused at Paul and Dawn shot him a glare.

"Sorry," Drew said. He looked down at the dog. "I would apologise for interrupting something but if the dog's involved I don't think I want to know."

"Rusty was going to tell up something," Dawn told Drew. The dog barked loudly and ran out of the room. Drew watched the dog run out of the room with a confused look on his face.

"So," Drew said with a long 'o' sound, "What is the plan?"

"What do you mean?" Paul asked.

"Well, being alive is fun and all but we're dead," Drew replied, digging his hands into his pockets, "I rather liked the whole not needing to eat, sleep, drink or pee thing."

"Breathing's a pain too," Dawn added. The two ghosts looked at each other before they looked at Paul. Paul stared back at them. He jumped backwards.

"What do you expect me to do about it?" Paul asked quickly. He paused and titled his head to the side. "How strange."

"What's strange?" Drew asked.

"I have no idea what to do," Paul replied shrugging. He thought hard for a moment, putting his hand on his chin. He suddenly stood up straight and looked round. "It's like everything has escaped me."

"Wait one moment," Drew said finally, "We're not ghosts any more."

"Really?" Paul asked sarcastically, "I hadn't noticed."

"But if we're not ghosts then we're not… what did you say ghosts were?" Drew asked. Paul shrugged.

"Spiritual, physical and emotional representations of a person," Dawn replied finally as if she was straining her mind to remember.

"So if we're not ghosts any more," Drew said.

"Then we're no longer representations," Paul finished, "We are exactly how we used to be… Oh no."

"Oh no, what?" Drew asked. Dawn looked worriedly at Paul.

"This is very bad," Paul said slowly, "You're going to have to put up with me as a typical upper class, snobbish human boy for a while. I used to be a pain."

"Same here," Drew replied, "I also have a craving for jam tarts."

"There's some in the cupboard," Dawn said, "I'll go and get them for you."

She took a few paces towards the door when she stopped. She turned round and glared at Paul.

"I see what you mean," she muttered grumpily, "I'm turning back into a maid. I feel the need to clean!"

"Calm down," Paul said, calmly, "There's only one thing I can think to do."

"And that is?" Drew asked.

"ASH!" Paul yelled at the top of his voice. Paul folded his arms as he waited for Ash to come to him.

"Erm… Why don't you go to him?" Drew suggested. Paul looked at Drew as if he was an alien for a second before the suggestion sunk in.

"I hate this," Paul snapped as he stormed out of the room. Dawn hurried after Paul with Drew not so far behind him.

**So the ghosts are becoming more and more human :O What will happen next?**

**You'll have to wait and see I'm afraid. Please review!**

**RSx**


	30. The Leader

**Gah! I really, really need to write more on this fic! But I've been too preoccupied on my other stuff recently… My bad, I suppose. **

**Big thanks to ninetailsgirl94, Angelic Sakura Blossom, LuckyTigger, splitheart1120, PokegalAngella, OffMyTea, Anon52, Starfire1407, Lynx of the Sand, lonewolfgirl-sademo588 and seany96 for reviewing!**

**Chapter Thirty: The Leader**

Paul eyed the bowl of porridge carefully for a few seconds. He slowly grabbed the handle of the spoon, loading it with the thick gloopy cereal and raising it up to his eye level. He aimed at Ash who was sat opposite him, the near unstoppable urge to flick the porridge at the ebony haired lad.

"Master Paul," Dawn snapped. Paul quickly ate the spoonful of porridge before any one could look up. He turned to look at Dawn who was scowling at him. She was holding a teapot in her hands.

"What?" Paul asked innocently.

"Behave," she warned.

"Yes, ma'am," Paul replied sarcastically. He paused for a minute while he glanced down at his porridge. "I miss my ghostly maturity."

"Don't worry," Dawn said, "We all do."

"What happened to you ghostly sweetness?" Paul asked his maid, smirking as he talked to her. She glared at him.

"I am sorry if I'm not so peppy," Dawn mumbled, "I was up at half past five this morning. I forgot how much tiredness affected me."

"Dawn," Paul said, "You're not getting paid so why bother?"

"Because, unlike you, I like to pull my own weight," Dawn snapped.

"If you two are going to argue," Drew said as he walked into the room with a large tray in his hands, "Please don't lock each other in cupboards."

"I like to pull my own weight," Paul said. He turned to Harold, who was too busy reading the morning newspaper to hear anything. "Harold, there's a safe behind the portrait in the study you work in."

"I had noticed," Harold said, "Not even the lock smith could open it."

"After breakfast I can show you the combination," Paul told Harold, "But I'm not sure what is in there anymore."

"OK," Harold replied not looking up from his paper. Paul grinned.

"This is just like morning with my family," Paul said, "Brings back memories. Although, I've never eaten breakfast with a gypsy before."

"I've never eaten breakfast with an upper class moron before," Misty replied, "So I guess we're even."

"Touché," Paul remarked. He loaded up his spoon with porridge again and, before Dawn could stop him, fired the contents at Ash. Ash yelled and fell backwards out of his chair. Everyone looked at Ash then at Paul. Paul helped himself to another spoonful of porridge. "I've still got it."

~G~

Paul returned to the dinning hall carrying a small box of trinkets in his hands. Harold was walking behind him looking bemused at their findings.

"How rich was your family?" Harold asked.

"Very," Paul replied, "We used to be some of the richest people in the country but then the First World War broke out and my family went to hiding stuff."

"Oh," Harold said, "That's why there's so much locked away?"

"Yeah," Paul explained, "My brother got into gambling while in the Army so my parents began to lock things away so he couldn't take them and gamble them away. He died in the Somme."

"I'm sorry," Harold muttered.

"It was a nicer, quicker way for him to go rather than dying of some horrible STI," Paul replied airily like he didn't care. Harold laughed at this.

"He was really that bad?" Harold asked. Paul stopped walking so he could face Harold. Harold fought back a laugh as Paul gave a slow but grave nod.

"Oh yes," Paul replied, "Put it this way, when he was home no ghost went peeking through walls whenever they heard a strange noise. I swear Misty still has nightmares about one time when she accidentally walked into a… 'private moment' between my brother and another maid."

"Ah," Harold said, slightly amused. Harold paused for a few seconds before he frowned. "Now this is a little off putting. You don't… spy on people… right?"

"Oh no," Paul snapped sounding slightly disgusted, "We keep out of the bedrooms when other people are in them."

"Good, good," Harold sighed. Paul smirked slightly before he turned and walked off. "What was that for?"

"What was what for?" Paul asked innocently.

"That smirk," Harold replied.

"Oh nothing," Paul said. The two lapsed into silence for a short while until Paul shifted what he was carrying in his arms. "It's strange to think I'm your great uncle."

"Don't get me started," Harold mumbled.

"I always thought this family was weird," Paul commented.

"We're a big group," Harold said.

"You think Eliza's brood is big," Paul said, "Just think how many kids my brother would have had."

"I dread to think," Harold deadpanned, "So did you have… any relations?"

"Not me," Paul replied, "I preferred books. Besides, I had to marry well to make up for my brother."

"Thus why you wanted to run away with your maid?" Harold asked.

"Exactly," Paul replied, "My father told me once that if you can't do anything Shinji, don't be one."

"Harsh," Harold commented.

"At least I knew what to write on the goodbye note," Paul said. Harold laughed loudly.

"For my great uncle, you're sort of cool," Harold said.

"I suppose I am," Paul agreed.

"So what is going to happen to you?" Harold asked, "Will you become ghosts soon or will you live on?"

"I'm not sure," Paul admitted, "Part of me wants to take this opportunity to do the things I wanted to do before but we're so out of time."

"Did you ever want to get married and have children?" Harold asked. Paul nodded. "If you left this house then you could start life again."

"Life on minimum wage?" Paul asked, "No thank you."

"I'd adopt you," Harold replied, "And then you could have everything that is yours."

Paul looked at Harold with gratitude written all over his face but as tempting as that sounded, it wasn't right. The two men walked into the dinning hall and deposited the things they had taken out of the safe onto the table. Paul idly shuffled through a few papers. They seemed to be deeds to things.

"We're not meant to live," Paul said suddenly, "As much as I would love to have a life away from here, travelling around and spending it with Dawn… I know that my life has ended."

"Paul," Harold said but Paul raised a hand to stop him talking any further.

"I'm OK with it," Paul said, "We all are. I'm sure this thing is only temporary. There was a reason that guy turned us into this. I think he's stalling us."

"Maybe," Harold replied. He placed a hand on Paul's shoulder in a fatherly sort of way which made Paul look up at Harold in surprise. Not even his own father had ever given him such a fatherly gesture as Harold had done. Paul smirked as he brushed Harold's hand off his shoulder.

"Thanks," Paul said.

"So…" Harold said in a dangerously taunting way, "You want to run off with Dawn? Is Paulie in love with Dawnie?"

"Hey, I am your great uncle," Paul warned.

"Paul loves Dawn. Paul loves Dawn," Harold sang like he was a ten year old. Paul laughed when Harold did. Paul stopped as he saw Dawn walk past the door with her head down. He glanced at Harold. "Go."

Paul nodded and walked to the other entrance of the dinning hall. He quickly darted through the doors and followed Dawn unto the second floor. She waited by the room Paul and Drew were sharing.

"Can we… talk?" Dawn asked. Paul nodded. He opened the door and let her go inside first. He closed the door behind him and leant on it.

"What's wrong?" Paul asked softly. Dawn was pacing around the room.

"I've been thinking," Dawn explained, "About this whole thing, Paul, and I… I…"

"You're scared?" Paul offered. Dawn stopped. She stared at him for a few seconds before she nodded.

"I can't help it," Dawn blurted, "It's just so… scary."

Paul walked towards her and cupped her chin in his hands. He regarded her for a few seconds while she stared up at him with twinkling eyes.

"Whatever happens, Dawn," Paul said seriously, "We'll have each other. I'll always be by your side."

"I know," Dawn mumbled, "But… What if that's not enough? What if I want more?"

Paul watched her for a few seconds until he bowed his head. He brought his lips down and captured hers with his for a few seconds. Even thought the kiss was short, Dawn felt a rush of warmth through her body. She didn't want it to end. He pulled away slowly.

"I love you," Paul said, "And before the hormones take over my brain, let me just say: I will always be here for you in what ever way you want."

"I love you too," Dawn replied before she threw her arms round Paul's neck and kissed him. Taken aback by her sudden actions, Paul wobbled on the spot before he fell over, taking Dawn with him, never once breaking the kiss.

**So yeah… The kiss we've all been waiting for. Hehe. So the next chapter may be published on Wednesday, depending if there is a chapter to publish. **

**On another note, I will be publishing the final two chapter of an old fic called 'The Summer Continues' tomorrow so look out for it!**

**Please review!**

**RSx**


	31. The Surprise

**Wow, this is a pretty long chapter. Hehe, oh well. Hope you enjoy it before the plot kicks back into action… once it is written, lol.**

**Thanks to Starfire1407, ninetailsgirl94, Angelic Sakura Blossom, LuckyTigger, seany96, IkariFTW, lonewolfgirl-sademo588, splitheart1120, OffMyTea and Lynx of the Sand for reviewing!**

**Chapter Thirty-One: The Surprise**

Paul shuffled out of the room a while later, adjusting his waistcoat nervously before walking from the door. He looked around carefully, expecting Drew or Ash to mob him any second now. He was right, he was about to get mobbed but not by Drew or Ash.

"Paul!" Gary yelled, "Where have you been?"

"In my room," Paul replied, walking to Gary with the usual proud walk he tended to do. Gary eyed Paul weirdly for a second or two.

"OK," Gary mumbled, "Where's Dawn?"

Paul shrugged.

"We need to find her," Gary snapped, "We've got a surprise for all of you."

"Really?" Paul asked cryptically, "What sort of surprise? Food? Clothes? A party?"

"What sort of century do you live in?" Gary snorted at the suggestions Paul threw at him. Paul merely glared at Gary for a few seconds before the brunette realised what he said. "Oh… right."

"So what do twenty first century people do for surprises?" Paul asked, "Something flash, wild and costly?"

"You got it," Gary replied with a nod, "And it's going to knock your socks off."

"That doesn't sound like a very nice surprise," Dawn said as she walked over to Paul. She glanced at Paul but quickly looked at Gary.

"It's a saying Dawn," Gary told her, "Now come on."

"Fine," Paul snapped like he didn't really want to go. Dawn hurried after the retreating Gary, leaving Paul behind in the hallway. Paul let out a sigh but went with them. Whatever this 'surprise' was, it was bound to be big.

Paul was correct the following morning as the group of them pulled up at strange parking lot. It was huge and quickly filling up with cars. They'd had to bring three cars with them. Luckily Reggie could drive so he brought a few of them. The twelve of them spilled out of the three cars onto the pavement. Drew stretched as Harold and Delia got some stuff out of their cars.

"Wow, that was a long ride," Drew said, "I've never been this far out of the house."

"I have," Paul replied, "I've been to London before."

"Well, we're no where near London," Reggie told the ghosts, "We're in Staffordshire now."

"Where's that?" Drew asked.

"Does it matter?" May replied as she stretched, "Where ever we are, we're here."

"Whatever here is," Misty added.

"Why did you bring us here?" Dawn asked Delia and Harold, "And why couldn't Rusty come?"

"This is your surprise," Harold replied.

"Yeah, we're at a theme park," Ash explained, "The best one ever!"

"Ash loves it here," Vi went on, "We come here every year and decided you might enjoy it here."

"What's a theme park?" the ghosts asked in unison.

"You'll see," Vi replied, holding back a laugh.

"It's the most amazing place ever!" Leaf told them, "Full of fun and excitement."

"Come on Leaf, race you to the monorail," Ash yelled. The two teens ran off, leaving the ghosts stood awkwardly in a group together. Vi, Gary and Reggie walked after Ash and Leaf while Delia and Harold locked their cars.

"What ever a theme park is," Paul mumbled, "I get the feeling we're in for a very hectic day."

"What should we do?" Dawn asked.

"Keep alert," Drew replied.

"And try to stay calm," May added. The five ghosts nodded and ran to keep up with the rest of the family.

~G~

"Are you sure this is safe?" May asked as she was strapped into a large machine with seats on it. She was talking to Ash beside her.

"Of course it is," Ash replied.

"I know why you're here," Paul said to Drew and Misty who were sat on the other side of Dawn in the row behind May, Ash, Leaf and Gary, "But why am I here?"

"Dawn looked at you with her big baby blues?" Drew suggested.

"True," Paul remarked.

"I'm scared!" Dawn yelled, "Can I get off?"

"No!" yelled everyone around her apart from her ghostly companions. Slowly Paul moved his hand free from the handle of the upper body brace. He linked a few fingers with Dawn to offer her some comfort. She looked at him with over bright eyes like she would burst into tears any minute.

"It'll be over soon," he told her softly, "Don't worry."

"Thanks," she replied, "But I still wanna get off."

"Too late!" Ash yelled, "Here we go!"

The machine moved forwards and began climbing a rather large slope. Paul, being sat on one edge, looked around. The theme park was getting lower and lower beneath them. The machine stopped at the top of the slope, leaving everyone on the ride to get a look at the twist and turns of rails below. Drew looked down, gulping.

"Paul, why are we here?" Drew asked.

"I have no idea, Drew," Paul replied.

That's when the machine fell down the rails at break neck speed leaving everyone riding it screaming for their lives.

As the ghost teens stumbled off the ride, they found Harold, Delia, Reggie and Vi at the photo booth holding a snap shot of the six teens on the ride. Ash, Leaf and Gary were walking like something pleasant had just happened. May was behind them talking loudly about the ride with a slightly pale Misty. Dawn had attached herself to Paul and refused to let go but Paul didn't seem to care. Lastly walked a very shaken up Drew whose legs were wobbling so much, he could hardly walk in a straight line.

"That was amazing!" Ash yelled. He turned round to the ghosts to see how they were doing. May looked chirpy. Misty now looked green. Drew had just fallen over. Paul was stood like normal as Dawn clung to his back.

"It was great! Let's go again!" May cheered.

"NO!" the other four yelled.

"Well, there's Air next," Vi said as she looked on the map, "Can I cross off Nemesis?"

"Sure," Ash said, "Let's go to Air. Come on guys, this one is easy!"

"Let's go!" May yelled as she raced after Ash and Leaf. Misty walked over to Delia and sat down.

"I'll stay here," Misty said looking really ill now. Drew and Paul nodded before they walked towards the next ride. Dawn didn't let go of Paul until they were ready to get on the next ride. Even then she clung to his hand like it was her only life line. Her eyes were tight shut this time. Paul stroked her hand gently as he held it.

"So what's the verdict on this one?" Drew asked.

"It looks simple enough," Paul replied. The floor dropped suddenly and the seats moved to a horizontal position. Dawn opened her eyes and looked round in a confused manner.

"It's like we're flying," she muttered.

"We do this all the time," Drew said cockily. The rollercoaster began going forwards and climbed up once again. Drew was smiling as they went up and up. He then went the same colour as his hair as he saw the drop below him. "Oh no."

"You were saying, Drew?" Paul asked, smirking.

"What do I do to deserve-WAH!"

Dawn and Paul carried Drew from the ride, holding an arm and a shoulder each. Paul looked smug as he helped Drew walk from the ride while Dawn couldn't help but smile. She found it as funny as Paul did but she also didn't want to hurt Drew's feelings. The duo put Drew on the bench beside Misty.

"Is he dead?" Misty asked as Drew fell against the table in a jelly like fashion. Vi, who found this incredibly funny, took a few photos with her digital camera while Delia and Harold were at the photo desk.

"Where are the others?" Vi asked when she realised that half of the party was missing.

"They went on the ride again since the queues were short," Dawn explained.

"How come you aren't going on any rides?" Paul asked.

"Oh me? I can't," Vi replied, "I hyperventilate and collapse."

"And you come here for fun?" Misty asked.

"I can do other rides but not those ones," Vi explained, "I mean Air, Nemesis, Oblivion and Rita are the biggest rides here but there are gentler ones like the water rapids and the log flume."

"Log flume," Drew said, poking his head up, "That sounds nice."

Fifteen minutes later, the five teens walked off the Log Flume drenched from head to toe. Dawn laughed as she looked at Paul. His hair was dripping wet. Hers wasn't much better but she didn't care. Misty was smiling again, all her sickness forgotten. Vi shook the access water from her hair as Drew had a small fit about the state of his hair.

"It's ruined!" he yelled.

"Stop your whining," Paul snapped. He shook his hair out and glared at Dawn as she laughed at him. "And you can stop laughing."

"I'll stop laughing when you stop being so funny," Dawn giggled in reply. Paul only snorted and carried on walking. Vi led them towards another part of the park. She told them that Ash and the others would be waiting for them at a ride named Oblivion.

"Oblivion?" Drew asked, "That sounds epic."

"It is," Vi replied, "So who wants to go on it? It's a very tall drop mind you."

"Count me in!" Drew said brightly, "After that log flume, I doubt that anything could be as tall as that."

~G~

Dawn looked a little nervous as the ride climbed up and up. She could see so much from this one, it was almost peaceful. She glanced at her hands to find that they looked a little off. It was like her hands were fading. She nudged Paul with her elbow. The purple haired teen glanced at her, wondering what was wrong with her.

"My hands are weird," she muttered to him.

"How?" he asked.

"I think we may still have our powers," Dawn muttered. Paul looked over her for a few seconds. She looked pale, almost ghostly white. Her eyes were still the usual bright blue colour and her hair was still glossy. Paul glanced down at her hands and saw what she meant straight away. Her hand did look slightly transparent.

"I wonder what's wrong," Paul stated, "I wonder if Rusty is OK."

"I hope so," Dawn said worriedly, "We really should've brought him here."

"We couldn't, no dogs allowed," Paul replied.

"We could've made Drew blind and told the attendants he was a guide dog. He's smart enough," Dawn suggested.

"That's true," Paul agreed.

"OH MY LORD!" Drew hollered from the other side of Dawn, "IT'S A LONG WAY DOWN!"

"That's because it's called Oblivion, numpty," May retorted with a sadistic tone in her voice that Drew didn't like very much.

Down below the ride, Vi and Misty were waiting to see their friends as they went down the tall drop. Misty had decided that roller coasters weren't her thing. It was much more fun to watch her stupid friends go on the rides that terrified them. Apart from May. May seemed to be enjoying herself.

"So how are you?" Vi asked Misty suddenly. Misty turned her head in Vi's direction, offering the teen a smile.

"I'm well enough," Misty muttered, "Although it has been sort of hard for me, you know."

"With Ash and everything?" Vi asked. Misty nodded. People moved around them as another carriage full of people dropped into the hole in the floor. It wasn't Shinji's group, that was for sure. Vi leant back on her hands and smiled. "He's such a moron."

"Ash?" Misty queried.

"All males," Vi replied, "But I guess that's why we can't live without them."

"I guess so," Misty agreed with a tone of amusement in her tone, "Paul's not a moron though. He seems to understand each of our needs even if he can be a bit of a jerk sometimes. Drew… he's definitely a moron."

"OH MY LORD! IT'S A LONG WAY DOWN!" Drew's voice erupted from the ride high above the girls. Vi laughed loudly as she set up her camera. The carriage of people crept to the edge of the drop. It stayed there for a few seconds before hurtling down the vertical tracks into the hole below.

Misty tilted her head to one side as, just before the ride went down, she swear she saw Dawn slide out of her seat. There was a moment of panic as Dawn fell but the ride soon caught up with her again and she was safe.

"Is something wrong, Mist?" Vi asked as she saw her companion's face. Misty broke out of her trance and nodded.

"Yeah, my eyes are playing tricks on me though," Misty admitted.

"Well, they should be getting off the ride in no time," Vi suggested, "Let's go and find them."

Misty nodded but she made no effort to get up. She stared at the ride one final time before she got to her feet. She would have to ask Dawn what happened on the ride. Misty found it weird that no one else noticed.

~G~

"This is no fun at all," Ash moaned as he looked over his seat and stared at Paul and Dawn. The two had fallen asleep in the back of the car. Currently, Dawn was using Paul's lap as a pillow while Paul was leaning the side of his head on the head rest. It didn't look comfortable for him. Dawn definitely got the better deal. Reggie looked in the mirror of his car to get a better look of the two sleeping teens.

"They look cute," Reggie said calmly, "It's been a long day for them."

"I guess so," Ash agreed, "But I don't get it."

"Get what?" Reggie asked.

"How are they here? How did they become human again?" Ash pondered as he sat facing the front of the car again. Reggie continued to drive without saying anything. Ash leaned on the door of the car and looked boredly out of the window. The scenery was pretty to be sure but it was too slow going on the scenic route home. Reggie didn't like motorways so he avoided them as best as he could. Paul and Dawn had wanted to see the nice scenery but had promptly fallen asleep.

"Paul doesn't think it will last long," Reggie said finally. Ash turned to his step-brother, looking slightly confused. "I heard him talking with Drew last night. They are expecting to turn back to ghosts in a few days."

"But why are they like this in the first place?" Ash asked. Reggie shrugged.

"Maybe you'll find out soon," Reggie suggested, "Until you do find out, make sure you don't screw anything up."

"Fine," Ash snorted, "Lecturing me again, Reggie."

"Oh I can't help myself," Reggie laughed. Ash eyed the car radio for a few seconds until a wide, malicious smile made its way onto his face.

"You wanna show them the joys of modern metal?" Ash asked. Reggie's eyes flashed with mischievousness. Quickly, before Reggie changed his mind, Ash cranked up the volume on the radio and pressed play. There was a loud boom of music from the speakers. Ash sniggered, awaiting the reaction of the ghosts. Paul kicked the back of Ash's head rest. Ash almost collided with the airbag in front of him and almost choked on his seat belt. He flew forwards then whipped back into the comfort of his seat. Reggie glanced in his mirror to see Paul with one eye open.

"Turn that racket down," he muttered, "And don't try to make us jump."

"You were awake the whole time?" Ash asked, rubbing his neck where the seat belt had rubbed against him.

"No," Paul replied, "But may I remind you that I am a ghost. If you make me jump, I'll only repay the favour."

"OK," Ash said nervously. Paul closed his eye and went back to sleep. Reggie turned down the volume while Ash shuffled in his seat in order to get comfy once more.

"Say Ash," Reggie said after a few minutes of silence, "Do you ever get the feeling something bad is going to happen?"

At this Ash stared at his older step-brother with surprise on his face. What went unnoticed to them was that Paul opened his eye once more to watch them chatter.

"What do you mean?" Ash asked.

"I'm not sure, but I feel as though something is going to happen soon," Reggie replied, "I suppose it's nothing. Maybe I'm just being weird."

Paul closed his eye once more. He hugged Dawn tighter to him as he thought about what Reggie had just said. Reggie was right about something happening very soon. Paul could feel it in every fibre of his being, like a vibration from too much bass in music. Yet, Paul mused, there was little he could do while he was in a car and miles away from home. All he really could do was sleep and recharge himself for the battle that was to come.

**Ooo, what will happen next? Not even I'm sure because I haven't written it yet. Currently the ninjas from Akari have kicked out the ghosts from this fic so I apologise. I will get it written soon!**

**Please review!**

**RSx**


	32. The Premonition

**So sorry for not posting this on Saturday but it was a hectic day with sorting out stuff and stuff plus I hadn't had the time to write another chapter for this T_T The good news is that my plot fairies have returned so I should be getting back into the this story soon!**

**Thanks to OffMyTea, LuckyTigger, splitheart1120, Lynx of the Sand, ninetailsgirl94, Starfire1407, seany96 and lonewolfgirl-sademo588 for reviewing!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon**

**Chapter Thirty-Two: The Premonition**

Paul didn't mind carrying Dawn in his arms to her room. She was still soundly asleep after the long journey home. She looked cute while she slept, like an angel or so Paul thought. Her arms wrapped around his neck, hugging him tightly like she never wanted to let him go. A smile graced her face. It was small but happy. Paul wondered what she was dreaming about.

It seemed all too soon he had to put her down on her bed and tuck her in. His eyes trailed her pale but beautiful face one last time before he stood up and went to leave the room. He stopped by the door, feeling someone watching him.

"You're worried," Misty stated. It wasn't a question so Paul didn't reply.

"So are you," he said finally.

"I am," Misty admitted, "But admitting that doesn't make me weak you know."

"I never said it did," Paul replied, "Just get some rest."

He closed the door behind him as he left, leaving Misty and May with a sleeping Dawn in the darkness. Misty rolled over so she could look at May in the bed opposite.

"So?" Misty asked, "What do you think is going to happen?"

"I'm not sure," May replied. The brunette sighed deeply. "I want it all to work out for the best but what is the best? What if we defeat this ghost thing and we are forced to go into the next life or we disappear like Brendan did?"

"We can't be sure," Misty said.

"I doubt that we'll disappear," Dawn's voice said softly from her bed. The bluenette refused to open her eyes even though she was awake. The other two girls looked at her in a worried sort of way.

"You and Paul think that?" May asked.

"I don't know what Paul thinks but I know what I feel," Dawn replied. She opened her eyes and sat up in bed. A wide smile appeared on her face, reassuring the other two ghosts. "Whatever the outcome, we'll be together. Because we don't know what will happen, we can only do one thing."

"And that is?" Misty asked.

"Use each day to its full potential," Dawn replied, "Don't have any regrets."

"That sounds like a good plan," May agreed. Misty nodded too. "Oh by the way, Delia's throwing us a party."

"A party?" Misty and Dawn asked.

"Yeah, like a… Oh what did she say?" May asked as she tried to remember. There was a pause as May recollected what Delia and Vi had been talking about in the car. Suddenly, she remembered. "Oh, that was it. It's a 'costume' party."

"A costume party?" Misty asked. Dawn sighed as she flopped back against her pillows. She closed her eyes.

"What weird things this modern folk do," she said, "Anyway, we should get our rest. Night, May. Night, Misty."

"Good night, Dawn," Misty replied with a slight chuckle in her tone.

"Sweet dreams everyone," May agreed.

~G~

The girls woke to a loud sound the next morning. Groggily May sat up in her single bed with her hair messed up but since it was before eight am, she didn't care. The brunette yawned while Misty climbed out of her bed and carefully tiptoed to the door. There was a pause of the older ghost glanced back at her friends before there was the nod. Slowly, Misty opened the door a tiny bit and peered into the hallway beyond.

There was a flurry of motion outside of various strange people that Misty didn't recognise. Each person seemed to be carrying strange things, the likes Misty had never seen before.

"What's going on?" May asked as Dawn slipped out of her bed and joined Misty by the door. The ex-maid knelt on the floor, staring out of the crack with sleepy eyes. Feeling slightly left out, May joined her friends by the door. The three of them stood at different heights for a few minutes: Dawn on the floor, then May and finally Misty. Each had one eye glued to the door.

"It's awful busy out there," Misty commented.

"I wonder what they are doing," May said, yawning not long after she finished her sentence. Dawn shrank back from the door slightly as she saw Leaf walk across the hall wearing casual clothes. Subconsciously, Dawn's hand went to her heart. Her heart beat had increased. It was banging against her rib cage so much that it almost hurt.

Suddenly Dawn was on her feet. She opened the door wider and walked down the hallways until she got to Paul and Drew's room. She didn't bother to knock.

The sound of the door flying open made Drew shoot up into a seating position in his bed. His hair was poked out in all sorts of directions while his sheets fell lamely to the floor as few seconds after his movement.

"Wah?" Drew yelped. He scrambled for his sheets as he realised just who was stood in the doorway. Dawn slid into the room and closed the door behind her. "What are you doing here?"

Dawn ignored the green haired teen, approaching Paul's bed without a second thought. Paul was still soundly asleep when Dawn crouched by his side. She shook him gently but it had no effect. He didn't even react to her.

"Paul," she muttered in his ear, "Paul, I need to talk to you."

"Before eight? You have got to be joking, Dawn," Drew scoffed, "Keep it down, some of us are trying to sleep."

"You can sleep when you're dead," Dawn snapped.

"Actually… We don't," Paul mumbled. His eyes opened slowly but he made no move to sit up. "Alas, fair beauty, why dost thou wake me from my slumber?"

"OK," Drew said somewhere from underneath his sheets, "You gets Shakespeare, I get a death threat whenever I wake him up."

"Go back to sleep Drew," Dawn ordered. Sure enough, Drew's faint snores alerted Dawn to the fact Drew was now asleep. Paul was staring at Dawn with heavy eyelids as if he was struggling to stay awake.

"What's wrong?" he asked, rubbing his eye with his fingers.

"Today," Dawn told him. Paul blinked at Dawn for a few seconds before he sat up. He was confused as to what she meant but waited for her to go on. Dawn drew in a breath and began to explain herself. "It will happen today."

"What will?" Paul asked.

"You know," Dawn hissed, glancing over her shoulder to see what Drew was doing. The grass-headed teen rolled over in his bed. There was a pause and he fell onto the floor with a soft thump. Surprisingly, this didn't wake him up in the slightest. Dawn returned her sights to Paul who was rubbing his head.

"Dawn, it's not eight yet," he said, "Give me a break."

Dawn frowned for a few seconds. Her temper got the better of her because two seconds later she slapped Paul over the head, hard. Paul was instantly awake, if not dazed, by her actions.

"Jeez, Dawn," he moaned, "Are you trying to kill me?"

"Paul, I'm being serious," Dawn pleaded, grabbing his hand tightly, "It's today."

"OK," Paul said after a long, silent pause, "I understand."

"Really?" Dawn asked, surprised. Paul yawned widely and stretched. He threw his legs over the side of the bed and stood up. Dawn was now confused. "What are you doing?"

"Let's go and have a look round," Paul stated, "If it is today, we better see what we can do about it."

"OK," Dawn agreed, "But it's awful busy out there."

"It doesn't matter," Paul told her, "If people are running around then they'll not pay much attention to us, will they?"

"That's true," Dawn said, nodding as she saw his point.

The two made their way to the door, leaving Drew asleep on the floor. As they walked the short distance to the door, Paul suggested where they should go and look first. Dawn agreed that starting in the ball room was the best idea so they set a course towards the large room.

However, their plans were cut short as Leaf and Vi appeared round the corner, grinning like harpies with a sound that matched. Dawn jumped behind Paul as the two teenage girls mobbed the couple. Leaf thrust a pink dress into Dawn's face suddenly.

"This is for you Dawn," Leaf announced.

"You got me a tent?" Dawn asked as she looked at the skirt of the dress. It was huge. Leaf frowned at the comment but Vi didn't seem to mind. The purple haired girl was too busy molesting Paul with a tape measure leaving him feeling slightly nervous and violated. Vi drew away after taking Paul's chest size.

"Thanks, Paul," she cheered.

"For the record, I didn't give you permission to do that," Paul snapped. He rubbed his head in an annoyed sort of way. "It's not even eight yet."

"You do give permission after eight?" Leaf asked. Paul sighed and walked off.

"Oh, wait," Vi called. Paul stopped and slowly turned round as if he was expecting to get jumped again. "You like plum coloured things, right?"

"Apart from plums, yes," Paul replied.

"He swallowed a stone once and almost choked to death," Dawn explained quickly as the two other girls looked confused. They blanched as Paul raised an eyebrow at them.

"So much for being Mr Sophisticated," Leaf said finally. She shook her head wildly. "Don't forget about the party. Stay out of the way of the random people, OK?"

"Fine," Paul replied, annoyance leaking into his tone. He walked off once more. Dawn smiled at the two other girls briefly then rushed to catch Paul up. She glanced at him to find he looked rather pensive over something. His eyebrows were knitted together tighter than they usually would be.

"It's today," he muttered. Dawn nodded.

"Yes, sir," she replied.

**Hehe, so there's going to be a party in the next chapter but what will happen in it? Sorry about the wait but like I said, it shouldn't happen again.**

**Please review!**

**RSx**


	33. The Party

**Aha! Just in time! I've been watching the BBC Proms this evening and it was great! I really enjoy the music on the Last Night.**

**Anyway, thanks to splitheart1120, LuckyTigger, ninetailsgirl94, maddiepink5, xPinkSunshinex, OffMyTea, Lynxof the Sand, Starfire1407 and Awesome me for reviewing! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon but I do own this ghostie plot :)**

**Chapter Thirty-Three: The Party**

"For the love of roast beef, Drew," Paul's voice echoed through the empty upstairs hallway, "Stop being a girl and move!"

There was the sound of a scuffle in the room. Quickly the door banged open and Drew was pushed out into the hallway with Paul not far behind him. There was a short spell of giggling from May and Dawn who were waiting for the boys to come out of their room.

Dawn was wearing a pale pink dress with thin sleeves and a darker pink sash round her middle. Her hair was up in a complicated, yet beautiful and curly, arrangement. May, on the other hand, was wearing an emerald green dress that was strapless. She had elbow long white gloves on while her hair was curled slightly. The two teens looked at the girls with expressions of confusion and amazement on their faces.

"Wow, May," Drew said, "You look half decent."

"At least my hair is doing what I told it too," May retorted. Drew flattened down his hair as May poked fun at him. She ended up laughing at him which meant she was only joking. She grabbed Drew's arm and dragged him along the corridor. "Let's go already."

"OK," Drew said, "Ah!"

Dawn giggled as Drew was pulled away. Paul stood next to her, smiling pleasantly. Slowly they turned to look at each other.

"You look beautiful," he stated.

"You don't look half bad yourself," Dawn replied with another short giggle.

"We should go," Paul told her. He offered her his elbow, which she took gently, and led her down the hallway at a much slower speed than May had dragged Drew.

By the time they had reached the ballroom, there were loads of guests already dancing in costumes. Paul looked round at them all, feeling slightly nervous. Dawn felt nervous too but not because there were a lot of people there. She had never been to a party like this one in her life. When the Shinji's used to throw parties, she used to be in the kitchens working.

Drew and May were already dancing on the dance floor, as was Leaf and Gary, Ash and Misty and Harold and Delia. Vi was with her trusty camera once again, taking photographs of the ghosts.

Inhaling a deep breath, Paul led Dawn into the room and down the stairs so they could join the guests. A few heads turned in their direction as they walked past, followed by the odd whisper.

Paul stopped when he saw Rusty sat near the door. He seemed to be largely unnoticed by most of the guests. The rust coloured spaniel looked pensive about something, like he was waiting for something to happen. Paul guessed the dog suspected something would happen tonight too. Paul spared Leaf a glance.

She was twirling round and round in a beautiful green dress. Her hair was perfectly straightened with a few clips in it to hold it in place. She looked positively happy as she danced with Gary. Paul repressed the guilt that threatened to rise from his stomach. Dawn tensed beside him.

"Let's dance," Paul suggested.

"OK," Dawn replied quietly. Paul steered Dawn into a simple waltz. She seemed to pick it up quickly and soon they were dancing round the dance floor to the sound of beautiful, classical music.

"There's nothing we can do until it happens," Paul told her when she opened her mouth to say something. She nodded like she agreed. She glanced over to Drew and May who seemed to be enjoying themselves. Misty and Ash were currently talking to Vi and Reggie about something, all four of them were laughing and smiling. Dawn leaned her head on Paul's chest.

"You know days that never want to end," she said, "Well this is one of them."

"I know," he agreed. He paused for a minute to let Drew and May dance in front of them. Dawn chuckled for a second or two as the comical duo swept round the dance floor. Yeah, those two would be dangerous. Dignified but dangerous.

Misty was dancing with Ash again. They seemed to be talking about something while smiling at each other. At least they'd made up about what happened the other week. As much as Dawn liked Ash, she knew how he could be. He was goofy and a bit dense but nice enough.

"Dawn," Paul's voice took her attention away from Misty and Ash. Dawn looked up at Paul with wide eyes. He paused for a second until he decided what he wanted to say. "You know I love you, right?"

"Yes," Dawn giggled, "You have said it before."

"I know but I want you to know that if we could have, we would have gone away with each other," he went on. Dawn shook her head.

"It's OK," she said, "If we had gone then we would have only had one lifetime together. Now we have eternity."

"I guess so," Paul agreed, "I just wanted you to know that, though."

"I know," Dawn said. Slowly they lent in for a soft but short kiss. Paul pulled apart from Dawn suddenly when he heard Rusty's barking. Everything seemed to stop the moment Rusty began barking. He was yipping loudly like there was an intruder in the place. Slowly, Paul realised what was happening.

A few people gasped as the ghost appeared above the ballroom floor. He was smiling horribly down at people, a hint of blood lust in his eyes.

"A party? What a wonderful night to host such a grand thing," he said, his voice sounded rather chilled and scratchy.

"Who are you?" someone yelled. The ghost laughed mercilessly.

"I am the nightmare of this house," the ghost yelled, "I am the shadows and the coldness. I am the master and I have come to take back what is mine!"

People waited to see what he would do but nothing seemed to happen. Suddenly Rusty began choking. He coughed and spluttered before collapsing to the floor like he was struggling for breath.

Next, Drew huffed and fell to his knees. Sweat poured down his forehead while his temperature rose. Misty placed her hand over her mouth and stepped away from Ash. Her eyes showed fear as her clothes and hair suddenly seemed to get drenched.

"Paul!" Dawn screamed. Paul looked down to find he was bleeding. He stumbled away from Dawn as he felt something invisible stab him repeatedly, blood gushing from the new wounds.

"They're dying," Ash said. Guests were hurrying out of the room as Dawn fell to the floor in a single motion. Paul made a grab for her hand as she landed lifeless on the floor close to him. He was on his hands and knees now.

A sharp scream and a flurry of flame near Drew told Paul that May had succumbed to whatever it was that was happening. Misty and Drew seemed to have gone lifeless on the floor as well. Rusty was on his back too.

Paul looked up at the ghost, eyes burning with hatred.

"How does it feel to die again, Paul?" the ghost sneered. Paul pushed himself to his feet. He raised his hand and blasted the ghost as far as he could away from his friends. The ghost didn't seem to expect this and went flying across the room.

"Paul!" Leaf yelled as she ran to his side. Paul looked at her, then at the other teens. The four of them seemed to be pale and frightened by the turn of the events.

"Leaf, leave now," Paul told her, "Quickly."

"I won't leave you," Leaf cried. Paul slumped back to his knees as he felt more cuts sink into his skin. Leaf was weeping openly now as she knelt beside him.

"Does it hurt, Paul?" the ghost asked, "Tell me how much it hurts."

"It only hurts half as much as the pain I'll put you through," Paul snarled. Great, his ghostly maturity and anger seemed to be seeping into him once more. All the malice in his voice was a comfort.

Suddenly the pain was gone. Suddenly Paul felt fine, better than fine actually. He stood up once again and looked round the ballroom. Dawn blinked and began getting to her feet. Misty rubbed her neck as she got up while Drew jumped to his feet, waiting for the fight. May stood up and shook herself of all the ash that had seemed to settle on her. Rusty rolled over and got to his feet, growling at the ghost.

"So we're back?" May asked.

"Only one way to find out," Drew replied. He floated into the air and did a flip. Misty floated off the ground too, putting her hands on her hips.

"Well, I'm so glad you all could make it," the ghost said with a smile on his face, "I really am. Now we can get the real party started."

There was a loud bang as all the doors slammed shut and locked themselves. Vi jumped onto Ash's arm as the four living teens realised that the games had only just begun… And they were part of them too.

**Baaaaad cliff hanger and I apologise. So what will happen in the next chapter? Will the ghosts be able to save the teens from the evil spirit? What is the evil spirit even called? Well on the next update you shall know!**

**Please review!**

**RSx**


	34. The First Loss

**I have two words for you in this chapter: Character Death. If the chapter title didn't tell you otherwise, then yes, someone will be dying in this chapter.**

**Big thanks to Pokegal-Angella, seany96, LuckyTigger, Starfire1407, splitheart1120, ninetailsgirl94, OffMyTea and Lynx of the Sand for reviewing the last chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Chapter Thirty-Four: The First Loss**

Vi screamed as the spirit shot a stream of white energy towards Paul. Paul soared out of the way, dodging it easily and floating to the same height as the spirit. The spirit laughed as the other ghosts surrounded him in a circle.

"Well, well," he taunted, "Look who's got some back bone."

"We do have back bone," Drew snapped, "Well… until at least two minutes ago…"

"Who are you? Why the hell do you keep bugging us?" Misty questioned.

"And why are we wearing our old clothes?" May asked as she realised that she was indeed wearing her white blouse and green skirt once again.

"She's right," Drew mumbled as he pulled at his clothes, "Completely back to normal."

"You sound amazed at all this," the spirit laughed, "You may call me Mort."

"Mort?" Drew asked, pointing towards the spirit in a slightly comical way, "What sort of name is Mort? It's almost on the same level as Eugene… Or Clarence."

"Erm… Drew," May said nervously, "It's probably best that you DO NOT OFFEND the ghost with STRONG POWERS!"

"Right," Drew agreed, rubbing his head in embarrassment. Misty and May sighed before their attention returned to the rather amused looking spirit named Mort.

"And what do you want with us, Mort?" Paul asked pleasantly as if this was some sort of business transaction. Mort eyed Paul carefully as a large smile spread across his lips.

"Wouldn't you like to know," he replied, "Maybe I should've kept you as humans for a while longer until all my business is taken care of."

"Business?" Misty barked, "What business?"

"You'll see," Mort said while his smile twisted slightly. Dawn ducked as Mort sent another beam of white towards her. She timed it well and was able to retaliate with an attack of her own. Mort was knocked backwards slightly by the attack. Paul took this moment to launch his own attack at Mort. He formed a purple sphere in his hands and threw it at Mort.

Mort fell from the air and landed on the ballroom floor with a heavy bang. When the dust cleared the ghosts saw that he had made a crater in the floor.

"We aren't suppose to do that," Drew moaned, "We're ghosts."

"Then we may not be dealing with an ordinary ghost," Paul replied calmly. Mort chuckled darkly as he climbed to his feet. When he was stood he gave a harsh laugh that echoed throughout the ballroom.

"So that's who you're going to play?" he asked, "Then let me even the odds."

Paul followed Mort's train of sight. The four teens, who had been huddled near the stairs ever since Mort had appeared, were now stood up on the balcony, looking down at what was happening.

"Move!" Paul yelled. Mort's eyes flashed towards Paul and instead of the teens being hurt he was. With a strangled growl, Paul was zapped by sparks and fell from the air in a similar way Mort had done moments before. However, Paul landed on the floor with a thud and didn't cause a crater.

"Paul!" Drew and Misty yelled, zooming to help their fallen leader.

Mort gave another yell, returning his gaze to the four teens. His eyes latched onto Leaf who was stood behind Gary, shivering in fear. Slowly, he strode towards the teens, with each step rising up a little.

"Now, to get what I came for," Mort said. His eyes widened as Dawn flew into his path and blasted him with a strong gust of wind.

"Leave them alone!" she yelled. Mort stumbled backwards. He grimaced and glared at Dawn, raising his hand for an attack. Fortunately for Dawn, Rusty took this opportunity to sail through the air and try to maul Mort. Mort span round in the air as Rusty collided with him at a fast speed.

"Stupid mutt!" Mort cursed as Rusty clawed his jacket and attempted to bite his neck. Dawn quickly rushed over to the four teens who were on the balcony.

"Move," she told them, "Go hide in a corner."

"Can't we help?" Ash asked.

"No," Dawn snapped, "You're living, you can't do anything."

"What does he want anyway?" Gary asked. Dawn screamed as she was catapulted into a wall by another attack from Mort. Rusty had attacked himself to one of Mort's arms and was growling like crazy. Dawn soared through the wall and disappeared.

"Well, those two are down for the count," Mort said with an air of triumph in his tone, "So easily defeated."

"Want to bet?" Paul voice sounded. Rusty quickly let go of Mort and soared away. Mort watched the dog flee from him, confused why the dog had done this. He soon realised why when Paul materialised from the floor boards in front of the four teens and shot a strong gust in Mort's direction. Mort sailed through the air, stopping short of May who promptly whacked him over the head with her photo frame.

"Ow!" Mort yelled, swiping for May but she flew out of his reach. With his back turned to the other ghosts, Mort couldn't see what was going to happen next. He whipped round when he remembered the others were behind him, only to be greeted by having a crystal flung into his face. It hit him, painfully, between the eyes making him yell once again.

He rubbed his head as he watched Misty swoop to collect her crystal and fly off to safety. Mort growled, raising his hand to aim an attack at Misty when he received a tap on the shoulder. Dropping his hand, he glanced round.

Drew swung his flute round, clobbering Mort round the face. Mort dropped to the floor once again.

"That was for Dawn," Drew snapped as he saw Mort in another crater in the floor.

"Oh man," May said, floating to Drew's side. She was biting her nails in a worried sort of way. "He's going to be so mad."

"Yep," Drew agreed. They narrowly dodged an attack. May yelped and shot through the nearest wall to avoid being hit. Drew did a graceful twirl in the air and managed not to be hit.

"Be damned to all of you!" Mort bellowed. He put his hands together and closed his eyes. Everything in the room seemed to go still all of a sudden.

"What's happening?" Misty asked as she dropped down beside Paul. Drew soared to the other side of Paul while May popped her head through the wall she'd just flown through. All the warmth from the room seemed to be disappearing as if Mort was sucking it from every corner.

"I don't like the feel of this," Paul commented.

"No kidding," Drew replied, "Can ghosts freeze to un-death?"

"Not likely," Paul said.

Mort opened his eyes quickly. He pushed his hands to the side in a hard but fast motion. There was a ripple of energy that caught all of the ghosts. They were shot in various directions through walls. Misty screamed as she flew through the wall May was poking her head from. The two girls collided as they sailed from the room. Rusty yelped and was shot up to the roof. Paul let out a short 'gur' noise before being flung through the back wall while Drew cried "ah" as he veered off towards the left.

Within seconds the room was void of all ghosts apart from Mort who was stood in the centre of the room. There was a pause as he tried to regain his breath.

"Now that that's taken care of," Mort sneered, "I can finally get back to the job at hand."

He walked towards the four teens in the same way he had done before. He paused, checking to make sure Dawn wouldn't reappear suddenly. She didn't so he continued on his way. The teens shrank back the moment he stepped on the balcony. With every step forwards, they matched by taking a step backwards.

"Well, well," Mort taunted, "Look what we have here."

"What did you do to them?" Ash yelled.

"They won't return to save your skins," Mort replied airily, "Makes my job a whole lot easier."

Ash stepped in front of his friends, shielding them from Mort. Mort's eyes narrowed. He simply reached forwards and grabbed Ash by the neck.

"Ash no!" Vi screamed as Mort picked him off the floor. Ash dangled in the ghost's grip. He kicked and squirmed but it did him no good. Finally Mort grew tired of the wriggling teen and threw him onto the floor. Ash skidded along the polished wood until he hit the wall with a sickening crunch.

"Ash!" Vi yelled. She moved to check on Ash but Mort grabbed her. He pushed up against the wall. He did the same with Gary with his other hand. The teens squirmed wildly.

"Let us go!" Gary snapped.

"Fine," Mort said.

All Vi and Gary felt next was a sickeningly cold feeling as Mort pushed them into the wall. They suddenly stopped moving because they couldn't move anymore. They had literally sunk into the wall with only their heads and shoulders free.

"What have you done to us?" Vi asked, sounding borderline hysterical. Mort smirked at them as he stepped away from the wall. He turned at face Leaf who was frozen with terror.

"Now, finally down to business," Mort said, strolling towards Leaf. She ran towards the balcony then backed towards the stairs. "Now how should this happen? Edmund, I strangled. Drew, I made ill. Misty, I drowned. Paul, I stabbed repeatedly. Dawn, I hit over the head. May, I blew up. Brendan, I set aflame. So how will I deal with Leaf?"

"Leaf, run!" Gary yelled.

"Go Leaf!" Vi shouted, "Just go!"

Leaf nodded and turned to run down the stairs. Mort grabbed her hand. He swung her round so she was once again leaning on the balcony. Leaf grabbed the wooden banister in fear. Her lip trembled slightly as Mort pondered how to kill her.

"I'm torn," Mort said finally, "So many great ideas, so little time. Do you have any preferences?"

"Erm… Do I get that honour?" Leaf asked. Mort smirked and laughed.

"You are simply fantastic, my dear girl," he said, "You're cute but feisty."

"Like Dawn?" Gary asked.

"Yes, like Dawn," Mort agreed.

"I'm glad you find me cute, Mort," Dawn said as she phased behind the ghost. She blasted him to the side. He rolled onto the floor, having not anticipated her materialising. Dawn turned to Leaf. "Run, Leaf."

"Oh," Mort said suddenly from his place on the floor, "I know exactly what to do now."

Leaf went to run to the stairs but her foot got caught on the rug. She stumbled and fell, clinging to the banister for help. She looked at Dawn with wild panic in her eyes as she slipped over the wooden frame, over the balcony.

"NO!" Dawn screamed so loud the house shook slightly. Instantly Paul phased through the wall and looked around. Dawn dropped to her knees and began crying.

"Leaf!" Vi yelled, her eyes welling up with tears, "Leaf? Answer me!"

Paul looked round. He saw Vi and Gary trapped in the wall. He saw Ash laid a sprawl on the floor near to the wall. He saw Dawn on her knees crying and Mort on his front with a malicious smile on his face. He didn't see Leaf.

Mort turned to Paul, grinning.

"I win again, Paul Shinji," he said before he disappeared into the floor boards. Paul looked round once again. Vi had fallen into tears while Gary hung his head in pain. Paul sucked in a deep breath.

It was surreally calm the way he walked down the stairs to the ballroom. His heels didn't tap the floor as he walked. Everything was silent. As he stepped onto the tiled floor of the ballroom he turned his head.

Eerily beautiful, that's all he could describe it as. Her hair spilled behind her in waves. Her eyes were wide open, lifeless but enchanting. Her small mouth was open slightly. The beautiful green dress she wore made her look like a princess, doomed to a horror before the prince came to save the day. There would be no prince though.

"Leaf," Paul said softly. He took a few steps towards her but she didn't stir.

"Leaf," Vi wailed from the balcony. Paul stopped walking a foot away from Leaf. He waited for Dawn to join him. She did so with a gracefully slow drop from the balcony. They stood staring at Leaf for a while until Dawn stepped forwards. She touched Leaf's face, stroking the skin in a soft but comforting way.

"Leaf, dear," Dawn said, "It's time to get up now."

Her eyes moved slightly. Slowly Leaf sat up and blinked. She looked round at Paul then Dawn then the balcony.

"What happened?" she asked, "Did Mort go?"

"For now, yes," Paul replied, "Come on, we need to get you out of here."

"Why, if he's gone I'm not longer in danger," Leaf said. Paul looked grave as he glanced down. Leaf seemed to realise.

"Oh," she said, "Oh."

She closed her eyes and stood up. She took a few steps to the side, refusing to open her eyes. Paul couldn't blame her. He stepped towards her, putting his arm round her shoulder. Dawn stood on the other side of Leaf, copying Paul's movements.

"It will be alright," Paul told her, "But for now, let's go."

"OK," Leaf said, her voice breaking slightly.

There was a short pause and then the three of them floated upwards, the other teens not even noticing them go. Leaf didn't spare them a glance as she flew up through the ceiling. For the minute all she wanted to do was get out of that awful place.

She left behind her best friend, Ash who was unconscious on the floor. She left behind Vi and Gary, two very good friends who were trapped in the wall and were already crying over her. Most importantly though, she left herself behind on the floor of the ballroom.

**Hehe, I hope that wasn't too sad. I like writing in a poetic way like that sometimes. **

**Please review!**

**RSx**


	35. The Year Out

**Yeah, this is a day late because I forgot to update Akari and I don't like doing two updates per day, sorry!**

**At the minute my internet is playing up *shakes fist* but I would like to say a biiiig thank you to everyone who reviewed. I shall give you cookies next time :)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing at all.**

**Chapter Thirty-Five: The Year Out**

Paul looked over his book in his usual way, with a slight frown on his face and narrowed eyes. May was hitting Drew over the head with her photo frame while Rusty and Misty were trying to stop them. Dawn and Leaf were sat over in the corner, waiting for Paul to blow. Today Paul didn't seem to have the energy. He merely put his head in his hand and glared across at the quarrelling ghosts.

"Please, stop this," he said finally, "Before I lock you somewhere cramped, cold and dark."

"I'm so bored," Drew moaned as he passed May her photo frame. She hugged it tightly and grinned. "When can we leave this dreaded place?"

"It has been a while, Paul," Misty agreed.

"Do you think they will have forgotten by now?" May asked innocently. Paul glanced over to Leaf who was sat wearing jeans and an emerald green camisole top. Her hair hung sweetly round her face. She looked reasonably happy despite being locked up in the under floor room which they had found some time ago. No one had come looking for them but Paul doubted that they had been forgotten.

He knew that the past year had been hard for the family of Shinji Manor. Ash had lost his best friend and step sister while Vi had lost a very good friend. Delia was so sad that Leaf had gone since she'd watched Leaf and Ash grow up together. Paul honestly thought the family would move out but they didn't. At night, sometimes, the ghosts would go into the house and move freely but they never risked being seen. It was still far too painful for the family.

Paul let out a sigh as he realised that all too soon he would have to test the waters and talk to Ash and Vi. They may shout at him, be violent (not that he cared, he was already dead) or even try to exorcise him, but Paul wasn't really sure. It would be very soon in fact that he would have to tell them that Leaf wasn't truly gone either, that she was a ghost like the others were. They would hate him for that, but he did have a reason why he did this.

If Leaf was in their lives still even though she was dead then the family would never be able to move on. They'd never try to grieve for her or try to get on with their life. They'd want to stay close to her. They'd forget she was dead too. They'd probably go insane as they tried to figure out a way to bring her back. It was the human mind and that's how it worked. A year in hiding was a good thing for the family. Paul, however, thought he may go mad if he had to sit through another day of Drew's shenanigans.

"When can we go out?" May asked, looking at Paul, "Please say tonight."

"Fine," Paul replied calmly, "We'll go out tonight."

~G~

Paul flicked through another heavy volume in the library. Reading was the only thing that was keeping him sane. The pale pages of the books calmed his nerves and helped his almost continuous headache. He didn't realise ghosts could have headaches until he became stuck in a room with Drew, May and Misty for a year.

"I thought I'd find you here," Dawn said as she walked towards him. He'd been so wrapped up in the book that he'd not realised she had entered the room. She smiled at him slightly. "Misty's got Leaf tonight."

"How is she doing?" Paul asked.

"She's fine," Dawn replied, "She's really come on a treat you know, Paul. She perfectly accepts everything."

Paul nodded as he placed the book back on the shelf. He let out a sigh and turned to face Dawn. She stepped forwards and hugged him tightly.

"It's time, I think," he said softly, "I'm going to talk to Ash tomorrow."

"So soon, huh?" Dawn asked.

"Not soon enough," Paul replied, "I swear Drew and May have driven me insane."

"Is that possible?" Dawn giggled lightly. Paul sighed as he gave Dawn a quick squeeze. She nuzzled into his neck for a few seconds. Paul gave her a chaste kiss on the lips then pulled away from her. He rubbed his temples as he felt a ghost of a headache wash over him. "When will the next attack happen?"

"I'm not sure," Paul replied honestly, "But things will build up once again, I bet."

"What are you going to tell Ash?" Dawn asked carefully, not wanting to pressure Paul too much with her questions. He didn't seem to mind. The purple haired ghost was used to her questioning nature. She loved to ask questions because she loved to learn, even if she didn't admit it. The only reason why she asked him the most questions was because he was the best teacher. He knew the most, he gathered. Paul thought about this for a few seconds, his onyx eyes washing over Dawn as he tried to string the words together.

"Ash, we need to talk," Paul stated.

The barely awake teen, who had just woken up two seconds ago, yelped and fell off his bed the moment Paul talked. Paul gave him a minute to recover himself. Ash hadn't changed in appearance over the year. His jet hair was still messy, even messier now since it hadn't been brushed yet. His chocolate eyes were wide as he just stared at Paul.

"What are you doing here! Where have you been!" Ash roared. Paul was a little shocked at this behaviour but shrugged it off. So the kid needed to blow off some steam, Paul could respect that.

Ash stomped to his feet, pointing menacingly at Paul with a face like thunder. If Paul wasn't dead or upper class he may have been afraid. The ghost merely stuck his hands in his trouser pockets and waited for the oncoming rant.

"That ghost attacks you, Leaf gets murdered and then you six disappear! What the hell Paul!" Ash yelled, "You worried us to death!"

"Obviously," Paul remarked, eying Ash in his blue shorts and white vest, "You look very dead, Ash."

"Enough with that," Ash snapped. Ash panted as the anger flowed out of him. He felt very compelled to sit down so he flopped back onto his bed, glaring at Paul in a menacing sort of way. "So tell me."

"We've been laying low for a while," Paul explained, "We didn't want to get in the way of your grieving for Leaf."

"So you know about her?" Ash asked. Paul nodded. "So why so long? Why have you returned now?"

"Because it is time to return to our purely productive and exciting life," Paul replied in a sarcastic way. He paused. "And because Drew and May were driving me insane."

"Sounds more like it," Ash chuckled. Silence descended into the room as Paul watched Ash. The ghost was curious to how the boy was. Sure, Ash seemed to be the same boy he had been a year ago but there was something out of place. Paul tried to put his finger on it.

"So how have you been?" Paul asked finally.

"Great," Ash growled, "Just fantastic."

"Ah," Paul said as it came to him, "Ash, I know that it has been hard for you but you really have to let go."

"Let go! Let go?" Ash asked, "Really, Paul? Did you ever let go?"

Paul looked at his feet and hovered above the floor boards for a few seconds. He glanced over at Ash as if the hovering answered for him. Ash didn't seem to get the message. Paul had had to let go. Yes, he still had that unhealthy obsession with his death but what ghost that was murdered didn't?

"I let everything go, Ash," Paul said finally, "I had to in order to have my powers."

Paul turned his back to Ash and began to walk to the wall.

"I see you're not ready yet," Paul said, "A bit longer I think."

The door of Ash's room opened with a slam, revealing Vi stood wearing jeans and black t-shirt with her pink bunny slippers on her feet and a spatula in her right hand.

"ASH KETCHUM!" she yelled, "You're supposed to be up now!"

Her eyes darted to Paul who had paused to see what the slam was. Vi dropped the spatula in shock as her mouth fell open.

"Paul?" she rasped, "Oh, it is you! Paul!"

She raced to Paul. Paul turned round just in time to catch her in a hug. He let out a sigh, thanking his powers to make him solid for the moment so she didn't run into the wall. Vi hugged his waist, refusing to budge from her spot. Paul patted her shoulders gently.

"Hello, Vi," he said softly.

"You're back," Vi said, pulling away from him and staring hopefully at him. Paul glanced over at Ash then smiled at Vi. He nodded. "Where are the others?"

"Hiding," Paul replied, "We wanted to give you space."

"After… Leaf?" Vi asked. Paul nodded again. "Thanks but… we really worried about you, you know. We thought that Mort guy had kidnapped you or something."

"Not at all," Paul replied. He smirked and floated out of the door, turning to give the two teens a look that told them to follow. Quickly, Vi and Ash rushed to catch up with Paul. The ghost led them through the house and up the stairs into the attic hallway. Ash and Vi scrambled up the stairs only to find that Paul had disappeared. They stood staring down one side of the hall.

"Where did he go?" Ash asked.

"Maybe in there," Vi replied pointing to a door.

"Ash, Vi," a soft yet familiar voice called to the two teens. Ash froze and turned round. Vi did the same but slower than Ash. They stared down the other side of the hallway, their eyes bulging from their sockets.

"Leaf?" Ash breathed.

Leaf smiled at them in the friendliest way she could manage. She waved at them slightly as they continued to stare at her.

"It's been a long time," she said, "Sorry I didn't talk sooner."

"You're a ghost?" Ash asked. Leaf nodded.

"Yur huh," she replied, "Sorry."

"But you're OK?" Vi asked, tears forming in the young girl's eyes. Leaf laughed and nodded. "I'm so glad."

"I've missed you both so much," Leaf told them honestly, "But I wanted to make sure you two had moved on before I talked to you. I really wanted to tell you I was OK. I'm really happy actually. I've learnt so much from the others and not abiding to the laws of physics is always fun."

Ash smiled and nodded at his best friend. No words could spill from his mouth without tears joining them and today he didn't feel like crying so he remained silent. Vi poked him to get him to say something.

"I'm glad… I really am that you're not lost, Leaf," Ash said slowly, keeping his emotions in check. Leaf nodded.

"I'm glad you're not either," she replied. They descended into a general conversation as Leaf pointed out how strange it was to be a ghost. Vi and Ash laughed as she told them the first time she walked through a wall on her own.

Paul leant against the wall in one of the attics rooms, listening to the conversation between the three friends on the other side. He couldn't help but smirk.

"You've gone soft," Dawn teased him as she listened into the conversation beside Paul. Paul let out a sigh.

"I'm not soft, I've gone insane thanks to Drew and May," he replied. Dawn smiled for a brief second but her ear soon returned to the wall.

"I'm glad though," she went on, "All of them have finally moved on."

"Closure," Paul agreed, "At last."

**So I hope people didn't mind me skipping a year but if I didn't there would just be months and months of sadness and Drew annoying Paul. No body wants that so I skipped it all :)**

**Please review!**

**RSx**


	36. The Second Strike

**I actually managed to remember to update for once! Yay!**

**Thanks to Pokegal-Angella, LuckyTigger, Starfire1407, OffMyTea, splitheart1120, seany96, thedarkone78, ninetailsgirl94 and Lynx of the Sand for reviewing. Cyber cookies for all, me thinks :)**

**Disclaimer: Me owns nothing.**

**Chapter Thirty-Six: The Second Strike**

"I love being free!" May yelled as she zoomed through the house.

"It's great!" Misty agreed, copying May. They flew through walls and down through floors. They weaved out of each others way. They passed Drew who was stretching in the dinning room.

"Oh, I love room to stretch," Drew sighed as he reached to his toes.

Rusty seemed to be enjoying himself by the looks of it. He was running throughout the house, barking like a mad dog. On a few occasions he almost tripped up the other ghosts as he cut in front of them.

"Rusty!" Paul yelled as he was almost tripped for the third or fourth time. Now, if Paul had been Drew then he would've been tempted in chasing the dog for revenge, but Paul was Paul so he just clicked his tongue and continued on his way. Paul passed Leaf and the two living teens in the dinning room. He paused to listen to their conversation.

"Promise me that you'll never tell your mother I'm a ghost here," Leaf was saying, "Cross your hearts."

"Fine," Ash replied, "We promise not to tell mum anything."

"Or dad," Vi added.

"Thank you," Leaf sighed, "But if I do happen to come up, just say my name is… er…"

"Erasabeth," Paul said as Leaf failed to come up with something. Leaf and the others turned to him in a questionable manner but Paul merely shrugged. "There used to be a story that the conservatory in the garden was haunted by the ghost of Erasabeth Blake, a lady from Buckinghamshire. The stories were wrong but your father will know the stories."

"OK," Vi said. Paul continued on his way, stepping over Rusty once again.

Dawn was flying round the house, noting all the changes she hadn't spotted in the dark. She was smiling once again which Paul was more than happy to see. She had been a little distressed whilst being locked up in the small room under the house. All of them had suffered really but now it felt good to be free again.

"Let's go outside," May said loudly, "Oh, I want to go outside!"

"Don't get your panties in a twist, May," Drew teased, "Let's go already."

The pair whooshed past Paul, bickering about who would get outside first. Misty followed half heartedly until she reached the end of the corridor where she promptly changed her mind.

"I think I should leave them to it," she said aloud to no one in particular, "Either they'll re-kill each other or they'll come back stronger friends."

"Or they'll make out," Dawn added as she rose from the floor boards. Misty went bright red suddenly.

"I do not want to see that!" she yelled, "Ew, ew, ew."

"Let's go and see Harold and Delia," Dawn suggested energetically. Dawn grabbed Misty's wrist and dragged her down to the lower floor. Paul smirked as Misty let out a long moan about being dragged around. Yes, things returned to normal so quickly. This in mind, he continued on his way through the house.

Paul ignored his surroundings until he found himself in the ball room. He looked around the ominous room. The spot where Leaf had fallen from the balcony had a plant pot with some flowers in it. The pot was green with a leaf pattern round it. Paul smirked at this. Leaf did like her flowers. He should bring her to see this when she was feeling up to it.

Everything seemed to flash through Paul's head at that minute. They had really failed on that night when Leaf was killed. They had had Mort surrounded but it was no use, the ghost was just too powerful for them. Paul couldn't afford to be weak. He had people to look after, he had friends to protect. Leaf had died because of his weakness, just like Dawn had. Paul ran a hand through his hair as even darker thoughts entered his mind. Would they ever win? Could they beat a powerful spirit like Mort? Was there a way to make up for all of his mistakes? There had to be, it was only fair that there was but deep down Paul knew that life wasn't fair. And if life wasn't fair then death would never come close to fair.

"Is everything alright?"

Paul glanced down at the floor as he heard Rusty's voice. The dog was sat obediently looking up at his master, tongue hanging out of the left side of his mouth. Paul smirked at the mutt.

"You're enjoying yourself, I see," Paul said, "It's been a while since you could run around like this."

"It's nice to stretch my legs," Rusty yapped. Paul chuckled. He knelt beside the dog and gently patted the spaniel. Rusty wagged his tail at the sudden fuss Paul was making over him. It had been a while since anyone had done this to him. Not since Leaf died and the ghosts returned to normal had people stroked him like this. Despite being a ghost dog, Rusty missed the scratches and the treats given to him. It was nice for Paul to rub his head like this.

But Rusty could sense that Paul's thoughts weren't on stroking him. The teen's eyes were clouded with something resembling guilt and anger, not a very good mix. Even so, the dog paid no attention to him and decided to enjoy the free stroking from his master.

"Mort," Paul stated suddenly. Rusty looked up at Paul, his eyes narrowing at the name. Paul noticed the dog's reaction but didn't say anything about it. "I wonder who he is. I can't recall there being a Mortimer Shinji but the family resemblance is uncanny."

"He was a Shinji," Rusty growled, "But not in name."

Paul tilted his head to the side in confusion while Rusty sneezed. He had just let something slip which he hadn't meant too, Paul realised. On the other hand, Mort was a Shinji after all but why wouldn't he have the family name if he was one…

"Oh," Paul stated, "He's an illegitimate heir."

"How did you know?" Rusty asked.

"Illegitimate children don't usually take the family name," Paul replied, "Because that would mean the lord who sired them would have to acknowledge them but the hair colour and those eyes… they are Shinji."

Rusty sniffed at Paul's shoe trying to escape the look Paul was giving him. Paul wanted more information from the dog. Rusty didn't see any danger in resisting Paul. He would simply begin to sniff something and seemingly become interested in that instead of doing as his master wanted. It was the perfect plan… until Paul gave him a very good scratch behind the ears. Paul smirked as he saw the dog collapse onto the floor due to his tickling. If Rusty were a cat, he'd be purring by now. As if by magic, Rusty's resolve broke and he began to spout everything he knew.

"Back in the seventeen hundreds, my time, there were two Shinji brothers," Rusty told Paul, "They were inseparable until one of them died when they went to town. However, the ghost of the brother who died never left the house for some reason so the other brother tried to bring him back."

"Using the Lazarus Theory," Paul mumbled. Rusty nodded.

"And he succeeded," Rusty went on, "But then a dark shadow descended on the Manor."

"Mort," Paul said.

"Mortimer Sinclair," Rusty corrected Paul, "The son of the Lord Shinji. He saw that the brothers were together once again even though one was supposed to be dead. So he devised a plan. He was going to kill them both so he could claim the family inheritance."

"What happened?" Paul prompted.

"The already dead brother gave his life for the other," Rusty went on, "But he was totally destroyed in the process which meant he couldn't come back as a ghost. So then Mort turned his eye on the other brother but when Mort was about to kill him, a servant came to the rescue. Mort killed the servant instead and made the servant into a ghost by accident."

"So Mort was still living at that time?" Paul asked.

"After killing the servant something happened, a sort of reverse Lazarus theory, and Mort was changed into a ghost," Rusty went on, "But since he was born of blood out of this house, he gained these powers."

Paul stared at Rusty for a few seconds like he was trying to figure something out. When Paul looked at him like this, the dog got scared. Paul's eyes were burning dead into Rusty's eyes. Rusty twitched on the spot, realising that he had just spouted all the information. To make matters worse, the dog realised that Paul had stopped scratching him a few sentences back.

"You were the servant," Paul breathed. Rusty yelped and shot from Paul's side like he'd received an electric shock. Paul frowned, deciding he should go after the dog but something didn't seem quite right to him. Instead he looked round the room.

"I know you're there, Mort," Paul said, "Why are you hiding?"

"I'm not hiding, Paul," Mort's voice echoed through the empty ball room, "I have never hidden in my life."

"Then what do you want?" Paul snapped, suddenly growing tired of Mort's escapades. Mort laughed a cold merciless laugh.

"I have my eye on the last pawn," Mort announced, "Just so you know, Paul Shinji."

Paul rolled his eyes and began to walk out of the ballroom. Figuring this should annoy Mort to no end, Paul ignored Mort's attempts to call him back. In the end, Mort retaliated by slamming all the doors shut and sealing off the room. Paul sighed as he put a hand on the large oak door that led into the hallway.

"Typical Shinji," Mort taunted from the centre of the room, "So arrogant, so sure of themselves."

"I can't say what the Sinclairs are like, I'm afraid," Paul replied calmly, "But if we Shinjis are so arrogant and so sure of ourselves, it can't be such a bad thing if you wanted to be one of us."

Paul turned to face Mort. Mort's face was twisted into a murderous expression like he was going to kill Paul entirely. Paul raised a finger and wagged it from side to side as a warning.

"Kill me and you'll have to find two more people," Paul said, "Temper, temper. I would expect more from someone like you but in the same way, I wouldn't."

"You dare stand up to me?" Mort spat. Paul shoved his hands in his pockets, smirking like nothing was a problem.

"How dare you speak to me like this," Paul replied coyly, "If this all boils down to blood, Mort, which I am sure it does, then I am the one who you should be bowing down to. I understand all your choices by the way: three servants, one gypsy and an evacuee, all very impressionable people, very easy for you to dominate. Then you have Leaf, a sweet caring girl who can easily be walked all over. Finally, and mistakenly, there is me. So why me, Mort? What possessed you to choose me?"

Mort remained silent, his lips tightening into a thin line. His eyes burnt with hatred and anger while all his muscles were visibly tensed. Paul smirked again. The younger ghost closed his eyes, feeling a sense of triumph.

"I see then," he replied, "You saw an opportunity for revenge and you took it. How is revenge working out for you? Good? No, no it's not."

Paul opened his eyes sharply, his smirk disappearing at the same time. Mort was shot backwards off his spot and crashed into the wall. He was held up against the stone for a few seconds until Paul relaxed his gaze on the spirit.

"If you hurt us again, Mort, I will kill you," Paul warned. He released Mort from his hold completely. Paul shot a glare at Mort to relay his message before he turned and phased right through the otherwise closed off wall.

Mort coughed once Paul's presence had left the room. He rubbed his neck nervously.

"Damn Shinji," Mort spat, "That's your second strike against me."

**So Paul is standing up to Mort *shivers* is that such a good idea? And what is the deal with Rusty? There's something strange with that mutt, I tell you. Hehe. The next update shall be a Rusty explanation chapter so don't worry about being confused.**

**Just a quick note to OffMyTea. I will be trying to put more contestshipping into this story, unfortunately I don't ooze contestshipping (or any other shipping apart from Ikari) so writing it is a little weird for me :) But it shall be in!**

**Please review!**

**RSx**


	37. The Painting

**Erg, I'm already busy this year T_T Sorry to say it guys but I'm going to have to put this fic back to once a week. From now on, updates shall be on Wednesdays, sorry!**

**Thanks to OffMyTea, Pokegal-Angella, thedarkone78, ninetailsgirl94, Lynx of the Sand, splitheart1120, xPinkSunshinex, Starfire1407 and seany96 for reviewing!**

**Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Painting**

"Damn it Rusty, come here!" Paul yelled, "Where are you, you ungrateful mutt! Come out where ever you are!"

"Sush," Dawn scolded him as she walked past him. She had a clearly unimpressed expression on her face like she didn't like the fact Paul was trying to threaten the dog. He had assured her he just wanted to talk to Rusty but she wasn't totally sure about trusting him. Paul found he was quite hurt by this. Dawn didn't trust him… well, he had expected that but the fact she didn't believe him when he promised to not do something was slightly odd. What had Rusty told her?

He had to find Rusty. The dog was holding back valuable information. Paul walked round the house, ignoring the fact that Drew and May were fighting in the kitchen, ignoring that Misty was talking to Ash about digestion and definitely ignoring that Leaf and Vi were in giggles over something to do with school.

"And he came all the way to your funeral, you know," Vi said. Leaf giggled loudly again like a crazy school girl. Her laughter made Paul stop in his tracks just so he could check up on her. With a roll of his eyes and mutter of 'girls', he went back to searching for the dog. Only if there was some way he could catch a ghost dog. Catching a ghost dog was impossible since they could phase through nets and cages. Ghost dogs were incredibly fast too. Oh this was hopeless, Paul decided. He floated into a chair in the living room and sighed.

"I suppose I'll have to wait," Paul muttered.

"If you're looking for Dawn, I think she's in the kitchen."

Paul looked up to see Harold reading his newspaper in a chair not too far away. Paul smirked.

"May and Drew are in the Kitchen," Paul replied, "Beating each other up. I'm looking for Rusty."

"I can't help you there," Harold said. The older man folded up his newspaper and placed it on his lap. Paul blinked a few times as Harold stared right at him. "I was worried, you know."

"Sorry," Paul replied, "We wanted to give you some space."

"You left us without a word," Harold scolded, "We thought that other thing had hurt you or you'd left completely."

Paul remained silent a small smile gracing his lips. Harold sighed loudly and picked up his newspaper. Paul couldn't remember the last time he was scolded like that. Perhaps never by his real parents but more than five times by his governess. It felt nice to be scolded like that simply because it meant that someone cared.

"So you're back?" Harold asked, "As ghosts I presume since I couldn't see May or Drew."

"Yes, we're dead again," Paul replied, "It looks like you've developed some sort of ghost seeing powers because you can see me."

"Perhaps you just want to be seen by me," Harold suggested.

"Perhaps," Paul agreed.

"Why are you looking for the dog?" Harold asked.

"He's hiding something from me and I want to know what," Paul explained, "I think he's not exactly what he appears to be."

Paul looked round the room, looking for some sort of inspiration to hit him when his eyes wondered over a large portrait of a Lord. Paul stood up and walked towards it. There was a boy sat with a rust coloured spaniel on his lap.

"Sir Humphrey Shinji," Paul muttered. Harold shuffled his paper in confusion until he realised what Paul was looking at.

"Oh yes," Harold said, "We decided to put it up in here. For the museum you see."

Paul didn't hear all what Harold said because he was too busy thinking about this picture. Humphrey Shinji was a very influential person back in his time. He was known pretty well throughout the upper class and the gentry but he became a recluse in later years. He became obsessed with the after life and spirits.

"Have you seen all the displays?" Harold asked, snapping Paul out of his thoughts. Paul glided over to Harold who was now stood by a large glass box. Paul looked into the box, his eyes skimming over the few artefacts that lay there. "What do you think?"

Paul looked at the things. There were a few plates, a chest of some kind, a few letters and a collar. Paul put his hand through the glass and fiddled with the collar for a few seconds. Harold watched as Paul flicked a small brass circle round. Engraved on the circle was the name 'Rusty'. Paul pulled back suddenly.

"Is something wrong?" Harold asked. Paul shook his head. "You've gone pale, you know. Even for a ghost you're white."

"I never asked Drew how he knew Rusty was called Rusty," Paul said, "It never crossed my mind before."

"Maybe Rusty showed him this?" Harold suggested.

"Maybe," Paul agreed, "But why does a ghost dog talk?"

"Rusty talks?" Harold asked. Paul nodded. They thought about it for a few seconds until Harold clicked his fingers. "He's a ghost. If he can walk through walls and float in the air then there's no reason why he wouldn't be able to talk."

"Usually I would agree with you but there's something more," Paul said, "It has something to do with dear old Humphrey over there."

"Like what?" Harold asked, "Humphrey was a weirdo. Went totally bonkers after his brother died. He was sure something was out to kill him. You know he used to sleep in an underground room just so that this person wouldn't kill him while he was sleeping. See, totally bonkers."

"Wait," Paul snapped, "Back it up there. Humphrey had a brother."

"Yeah," Harold replied, "He died in an accident which caused Humphrey to go into solitude. He tried to bring him back."

"Do you know of someone called Mortimer Sinclair?" Paul asked. Harold shook his head. "Well, he was the illegitimate son of a Lord Shinji who tried to get the family money by killing off his half brothers. He's the spirit in this house."

"Oh," Harold mumbled, "I've never heard of him."

"But Rusty knows something," Paul said, "And I can't find him."

"Luckily you have me," Dawn said happily as she walked into the room with Rusty in her arms. The dog looked worried but wasn't moving at all. Paul eyed his partner wearily as she came closer to him. Harold looked round at Paul in a confused way.

"Is someone else there, Paul?" Harold asked.

"Dawn's here," Paul replied, "With Rusty."

"Hello Harold," Dawn greeted happily. She turned to Paul as Paul relayed her message to Harold. "I'll get everyone to meet up in the attic, shall I?"

Paul nodded. She handed Rusty to Paul before she zoomed off towards the others. Harold eyed Paul oddly for a few seconds and then started laughing.

"This is too odd," Harold said, "I see you but not who you're holding. You look so daft, you know."

"Thanks," Paul remarked, "I'm sorry but I need to go and talk to the others now."

"Have fun," Harold chuckled as Paul rose up towards the ceiling. When Paul was gone, Harold let out a long sigh. He smiled after that. "Well, at least they're alright, Gran. I was worried but it looks like they're better than ever."

Of course, Paul didn't hear what Harold had said because he was already up in the attic with Rusty in his arms. Paul was a little confused at the fact Rusty was not struggling one bit in his arms. What had Dawn done to him? That woman could be pretty scary when she wanted to be and was definitely his equal in every way. Paul smirked at this thought.

"What's going on?" May asked as she dragged Drew through the floorboards. Drew looked slightly dazed as if he'd been hit over the head by something. May dropped him on the floor gently where he sprawled on the dusty wood with his mouth wide open and his eyes unfocused.

"I'll explain in a moment," Paul replied calmly, trying not to smirk at the condition Drew was in.

"What did you do to my partner?" Misty snapped the moment she phased through the door, followed shortly by Ash who opened the attic door and walked in calmly. Misty put her hands on her hips, scowling at May.

"Erm…" May said slowly, "It wasn't me. He kind of made Dawn jump when she told us to come up here and she… um… blasted him into the wall."

"Oh," Misty spluttered, "OK, then."

Dawn appeared a few seconds later with Leaf and Vi following her. The blunette paused in the door way, smiling nervously as Misty sent her a glare.

"Sorry," Dawn said quickly, rubbing her head, "But he did make me jump."

"No loss," Paul replied before Misty could say anything, "We'll probably get more intelligent stuff from him in the state he is in now."

"That's true," Misty moaned. She let out a long sigh as she sank to the floor and sat down. Ash walked over to Misty and sat down beside her. The two teens smiled at each other briefly until Vi sat beside Ash. Leaf, not really that used to her powers, floated in the air for the duration of the meeting. Dawn floated beside her to keep her company, offering the new ghost a warm smile when she looked a little nervous.

"So what's going on?" May asked, "Why are you man handling Rusty?"

"You'll see in a moment," Paul replied. He turned to Dawn. With a flick of her hand, Rusty seemed to become animated suddenly. He yipped and wriggled in Paul's grasp. "Calm down, Rusty."

"Hey," Misty snapped, "Don't do that to him! Let him go!"

"If I let him go then I'll spend the next three days trying to find him again," Paul replied calmly. Rusty was now clawing at the air as if he was going to fly off any second. "Look, I'm not going to hurt you, Rust. I just want to ask you some questions."

"He doesn't look like he wants to listen, Paul," Drew said as he pushed himself into a seating position. The green headed ghost rubbed his head in a pained way. Paul's eyes snapped onto the second oldest ghost in the room.

"You start then," Paul ordered, "How did you know his name?"

"Excuse me?" Drew asked, genuinely confused.

"When you turned into a ghost, Rusty was already here, right?" Paul prompted. Drew nodded.

"Well, yeah," Drew replied slowly, "He ran up to me and barked at me. When I was still getting over the fact I was dead, Rusty used to curl up to me and let me stroke him."

"_No, no," Drew cried, "This can't be happening. I can't be dead. No. Dad!"_

_Drew collapsed onto his knees, weeping frantically as he thought about his poor father. His father would be heartbroken. First Drew's mother died, then his brothers and sister, now him. It wasn't fair. _

"_Woof," something barked a little further down the hall. Drew's head shot up as he saw a rust coloured spaniel sat staring at him not too far away. _

"_Who are you?" Drew asked. The dog got to its feet and patted down the hall until it was stood in front of Drew. Once stood there it licked his hand in an oddly reassuring way. Drew reached out his hand and stroked the pooch gently. "Nice dog. Good dog."_

"_Woof," the dog replied._

"But how did you know he was called Rusty, though?" Misty asked her partner, "When I died you said that you were Drew and that the dog was named Rusty."

"_Who the heck are you?" Misty screamed as she saw Drew staring at her. Drew jumped a mile at the sound of her shriek. "What happened to me!"_

"_Sorry to tell you this, but you're dead," Drew told Misty in an oddly calm yet apologetic voice. Misty looked ready to burst into tears. Drew took this opportunity to walk over to the young gypsy girl and put a comforting arm round her shoulder. Misty glanced at him, tears brewing in her eyes. "I'm Drew."_

"_Misty," was her reply._

"_I'm sorry you died," Drew told her, "But I'm dead too. So is Rusty."_

"_Who is Rusty?" Misty asked, hiccupping slightly. Drew pointed towards the house. Misty's eyes widened as she saw a dog running towards her. It was so comical to see a dog running towards her, barking with its tongue hanging out of its mouth. _

"_He's the ghost dog," Drew explained, "If Rusty doesn't mind being dead then we shouldn't, OK?"_

"_OK," Misty agreed._

Drew sat back for a few seconds as he thought about his first few weeks as a ghost. If he had to be honest then he would say that those days were just a blur of confusion and sadness. Rusty had never left Drew's side and had acted so he could help cheer up the boy. In the end Drew merely shrugged.

"I can't remember," Drew replied, "It was a long time ago, you know."

"I can't remember anything, either," Misty added, "I don't think it crossed my mind how Drew knew Rusty's name. I always assumed it was just one of those things he knew or that Drew had named him."

"I didn't name him," Drew said loudly, "I… I don't know where I got the name from."

"There's a collar in the dinning room," Vi added suddenly, "With Rusty's name on it."

"I saw it this morning," Paul agreed.

"So I could have got it from that collar," Drew said, "That's it! I remember it now. Rusty took me into a storeroom one day and showed me the collar so I assumed it was his and bingo, I called him Rusty ever since."

"Nice to know we've got that sorted out," Ash mused, "But what has that got to do with anything?"

"Well…" Paul stated but fell silent as he looked at the dog in his arms. Rusty was staring up at Paul with wide eyes like he was trying to get Paul to stop speaking.

"Rusty can talk," Leaf blurted out, "I've heard him talk before."

"What?" Ash yelped. May and Misty's eyes bulged out of their sockets while Vi gasped.

"I've never heard him talk before," Drew murmured. Dawn giggled slightly.

"He's not very talkative," Dawn explained, "But he does talk. Usually it's just to Paul."

"Why does he talk to Paul?" Ash asked, "And not to the rest of us?"

"What if he can't?" Dawn suggested, "I have been thinking about it. I've been alone with Rusty loads and he's never talked unless Paul is there."

"OK," Drew moaned, "This is getting too Paul orientated suddenly. So let's just say it's a Shinji thing and move on."

"Good idea," Misty agreed.

"Paul is the legal master of this house," Dawn told them, "He controls it and his powers are much stronger than the rest of us. Maybe when Rusty's around him he can voice his thoughts."

"I don't think it's as simple as that," Paul replied pleasantly. Everyone turned to look at him with confused expressions on their faces. Paul was still looking at Rusty. "So explain to me why you were a servant, Rusty."

There was a pause as everyone now looked at the dog. Rusty glanced around at the teens and the ghosts. His eyes lingered on Dawn for a few seconds. She was smiling at him in an encouraging way. She gave him a small nod.

"Fine," Rusty said finally, earning him a few more gasps and a weird noise from Ash, "I admit it. I can talk."

"Obviously," Drew commented. Rusty shot Drew a look but softened when he saw that Drew was smiling at him in an odd sort of way. Rusty licked his nose nervously.

"How can a dog talk?" Ash yelped suddenly.

"Well… I'm not exactly a dog," Rusty said, "I'm actually a human."

**Well… Another piece of proof that this story can go anywhere. Hehe, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Next update next Wednesday! Yay!**

**RSx**


	38. The First Strike

**I have officially been reading too much Jane Eyre this week! T_T Anyway, I managed to update in time. Please mind any spelling/grammar errors, I've just finished writing it, hehe.**

**Thanks to splitheart1120, seany96, Pokegal-Angella, ninetailsgirl94, Lynx of the Sand, Starfire1407, FairoNeko and OffMyTea for reviewing!**

**I don't own anything but my plot and characters.**

**Warning: Character death and violence!**

**Chapter Thirty-Eight: The First Strike**

"_Hey, Edmund!" Humphrey Shinji called out to his best friend while his younger brother poked a slug with a thin stick. Edmund, who had been carrying a large bundle of wood, paused mid step and made his way over to the two Shinjis. _

"_What are you two doing?" Edmund asked. Humphrey and his brother, Frederick, beamed up at Edmund for a few seconds._

"_Mrs Hunter gave us some work to do," Frederick replied, "We need to find some caterpillars but we can't seem to see any. Do you know where there are some, Edmund?"_

"_Try the cabbage patch," Edmund told them, pointing to the far end of the garden, "There are loads over there."_

"_Thank you, Eddie," Frederick cheered. He got up as fast as he could and raced to the other end of the garden leaving Humphrey and Edmund alone. Edmund laughed at the younger Shinji's enthusiasm but Humphrey didn't seem to share the same feeling._

_Edmund slowly stopped laughing and turned to Humphrey wondering what was wrong with the elder Shinji. It wasn't like Humphrey to be so serious. They had been friends for years now. Edmund could even remember when Frederick was born. Together, Humphrey and Edmund had looked after Frederick since Lord Shinji seemed to be otherwise preoccupied. Lady Shinji had died many years ago from an illness so she wasn't around to look after her children. And the new Lady Shinji did not care about here new children at all. It was up to Edmund and Humphrey to look after Frederick. _

"_Is something wrong, Humph?" Edmund asked, curious to why the older brother was still oddly silent. _

"_Do you know some one called Mort Sinclair?" Humphrey asked. Edmund shook his head. He'd never heard that name before. Humphrey looked like he was just about to explain it so Edmund listened obediently. "He came to the house the other day and claimed to be our half brother."_

"_Half brother?" Edmund hissed, "Is that possible?"_

"_He's as old as I am," Humphrey told Edmund quietly. Edmund was slightly shocked at the news but hid it well. He offered Humphrey a small smile._

"_I'm sure there's an explanation for it," Edmund said, making the peace once again. Humphrey didn't seem that impressed._

"_There is an explanation for it," Humphrey retorted, "Just not a polite one."_

"_Well, I'm sure everything will work out alright, sir," Edmund said happily, "They usually do."_

"Back then I was a servant for the Shinji family," Rusty explained to the teens. He glanced round at the group around him. Paul looked very interested in the information Rusty was spouting while Drew and Ash looked completely confused. Drew looked like he didn't understand the basic concept that Rusty was indeed a human. Rusty had to admit that it wasn't the easiest thing to understand since he had four paws and tail. With a slight cough, Rusty continued his story.

"Mortimer Sinclair was a trouble maker from the start. He didn't get on at all with Humphrey," Rusty continued, "The two couldn't be trusted to stay in the same room together..."

_Edmund walked out onto the back garden in a sort of lofty way. It was a nice day which was odd considering it was the British Summer. Where was the rain they were expecting? Edmund walked across the gravel patio until he came across the sight of Humphrey playing catch with his loyal but pampered dog, Rusty._

"_Sir," Edmund said loudly, "Your father is looking for you."_

"_I don't care," Humphrey snapped. Edmund pulled a bored expression as Humphrey flung the small wooden ball to the other end of the garden. Rusty was quick to chase it. She cantered off, yipping like crazy._

"_You're mean to Rustina," Edmund scolded Humphrey, "She's not a puppy anymore."_

"_Oh, leave me alone," Humphrey snapped, "I'm not in a good mood."_

"_I can tell," Edmund replied. Rusty bounded up to her master, dropping her wooden ball at Humphrey's feet. She looked up at Humphrey then across at Edmund with her tongue out. Edmund picked up her ball and threw it gently across the lawn. Rusty was off again with a yip. "She's a great dog."_

"_Yeah," Humphrey agreed._

"_Why did you attack him?" Edmund asked suddenly. Humphrey let out a long sigh that lasted for a few seconds while he rubbed his eyes. In the time it took for Humphrey to reply, Rusty had returned with her ball once more. Edmund crouched down and scratched her behind the ears._

"_He says he should get some of Freddie and my inheritance," Humphrey replied, "And I told him no. It's ours, not his."_

"_Maybe a little money?" Edmund suggested, "One hundred pounds, maybe."_

"_No," Humphrey barked, "Not one shilling."_

"_Who would you give money to?" Edmund asked. Humphrey thought about this for a few minutes._

"_I'd give some to you," Humphrey replied with a small smile on his face, "You are my friend, right?"_

"_Who me?" Edmund joked, "I'm just your servant, sir, nothing else."_

_Humphrey was silent for a few seconds as he watched Rusty roll on a daisy patch on the lawn. The dog seemed happy beyond anything he'd ever seen. No doubt she was really rolling in something foul smelling. The maids would love her later._

"_Do you ever want to get married, Edmund?"Humphrey asked suddenly. He turned to look at Edmund with a small frown on his face._

"_Some day, I imagine I'll get married," Edmund replied slowly, "Maybe when I have a bit more money and a small house in the village but I don't want to leave this house. It's part of me."_

"_The house or the family?" Humphrey asked._

"_Both, I guess," Edmund said with a shrug, "How about you?"_

"_I suppose I'll have to marry and have family," Humphrey stated, "Later in life though, when I'm mature and handsome."_

"_Humph, you could wait a hundred years and you still wouldn't be mature or handsome," Edmund teased, nudging Humphrey with his elbow._

"_Cheek!" Humphrey exclaimed with a wide smile on his face. Edmund fell into laughter while Humphrey watched him. "You don't think I'm handsome?"_

"_No," Edmund replied quickly, "I mean, yes... I don't know. You're Humphrey looking. Isn't that good enough?"_

"_I suppose," Humphrey agreed, "So you like the way Humphrey looks, then?"_

"_You look friendly and kind, sir," Edmund said, "Rich and spoilt. You look like Humphrey, sir."_

"_And Freddie looks like Freddie? Meek, pale and smart?"Humphrey said._

"_Yes, sir," Edmund replied. Humphrey stared at Edmund for a moment or two until the servant boy walked back into the house after a speed bow. _

"So you used to be a female dog?" Drew asked. Rusty sent Drew a glare.

"No," Rusty barked, "I was made into the guise of Rusty who happened to be around at the time. Sinclair used to say I was Master Humphrey's little lap dog so that's why I was changed to look like Rusty."

"So your name is really Edmund," Ash stated with an air of thought. Rusty nodded once.

"Rusty suits you better," Leaf decided causing the dog to hang its head in despair.

"So how did you get turned into a dog, Rust?" Paul asked.

"Well, a few years passed and then there was the accident that killed Master Freddie," Rusty continued, "Master Humphrey never got over the loss since Freddie was the only family he really had. Humphrey returned to the house to find that Sinclair had already arrived. Well it didn't go down well. Humphrey and Sinclair argued and in the end I had to split them up."

"Didn't Humphrey bring back his dead brother?" Dawn asked suddenly. Rusty nodded.

"He locked himself in his room mostly while he tried to unravel the Lazarus Theory," Rusty explained, "But that was only the beginning of the troubles. Sinclair started to kiss up to Lord Shinji you see. All he needed to do was to get rid of Humphrey and everything would be alright but then…"

_Edmund knocked on the door a few times. There was no sound, no movement beyond the door. Edmund knocked again, this time louder._

"_Master Humphrey? Master Humphrey," Edmund said loudly, "Open the door, sir."_

_There was nothing. Edmund bit his lip sharply, wondering how on earth he could get into the room. He tried the door handle. It was locked. It rattled slightly every time Edmund tried to turn it. He pulled away, eying the door frame carefully._

"_Humphrey, open the door," he barked, "You need to eat something. You've been in there a week almost. Please, come out."_

_This seemed to do it. There were sounds of footsteps to the door._

"_Go away, Edmund," was the gruff order from the other side of the door, "I am not hungry."_

_Edmund let out a sigh and returned to his station in the kitchen. _

"_What has gotten into him?" Edmund asked himself quietly, "No meals. Locked doors. What is he up to, I wonder?"_

"_Maybe he just needs time," replied a dark sultry voice. Edmund jumped out of skin before turning to face Mort Sinclair. Sinclair was wearing all black with a heavy riding coat and leather gloves. "After all, his brother has just died."_

"_Of course, sir," Edmund said hurriedly, "Can I take your cloak and gloves?"_

"_Nay," Sinclair replied with a short wave of his hand. Edmund gulped slightly as Sinclair continued to stare at him with narrowed eyes. He smiled suddenly, closing his eyes. "You've served this family for many years, yes?"_

"_Yes, sir," Edmund replied, "Like my father did."_

"_And your loyalty lies solely with the family?"_

"_Of course, sir," Edmund said honestly, "I would do anything for Misters Shinji."_

"_Good," Sinclair said tantalisingly slow. He began to circle Edmund with large but slow steps. "You're loyalty will reward you, Edmund."_

"_How would you know, sir?" Edmund asked. Sinclair stopped walking and instead stared at the servant. A wicked smile flickered onto his face._

"_Fetch me some tea, Edmund," was all he said. Edmund nodded, quickly excusing himself._

_Sometime later Edmund was sat in the kitchen picking at his supper. It had been a long day, even longer due to the arrival of Sinclair. How Edmund distrusted that man. There was something in his face and aura that felt off. Edmund didn't have proof of the feeling though since the other staff thought he was pleasant and nice. _

"_You're not eating again, Edmund," the cook snapped. _

"_I'm not hungry," Edmund replied, "Which is a shame since I do enjoy your food."_

"_Always the smooth talker, Edmund," cook said with a smile, "You'd do well to find a lady who would like those words of yours rather than wasting them on me."_

"_I can't think of that now, Cook," Edmund said, "Not after all that has happened. Master Humphrey, he needs help and no one seems to realise that, not even Lord Shinji."_

"_That is a family matter," cook said slowly, "I'll play no part in it."_

"_I can't sit back, I can't let him waste away," Edmund told himself, "But I can't get through to him. What can I do?"_

"_Wait, Edmund," cook advised, offering Edmund a smile, "Now off to bed with you. Go one, clear off."_

"_Right," Edmund said uncertainly. He got off his wooden stool and left the kitchen but didn't head to his room. He went directly to Humphrey's. Yet again he was thumping on the door._

"_Humphrey, do you need anything before I retire to bed?" Edmund asked. There was no answer. Edmund let out a sigh._

_He stepped back from the door, staring at it with wonder for a few minutes. What was Humphrey doing in his room? What was so important?_

_His answer would come soon enough. The edges of the door seemed to glow suddenly. Alarmed, Edmund banged on the door again._

"_Humphrey! Humphrey! What the devil is going on!" Edmund yelled, "Open the door! Open it now!"_

_To his surprise the door did swing open suddenly. Edmund stumbled backwards as he saw the face of his old friend and master. Humphrey looked wild with stubble on his chin and messed up hair. His clothes hung off him in a crumpled mess, too big for him since he hadn't eaten in weeks. _

"_I've done it, Edmund," Humphrey sang, "Oh joyous am I! I've done it!"_

"_Done what?" Edmund asked, "Humphrey what have you done?"_

"_Come see, come see," Humphrey said. Edmund thought about this as Humphrey disappeared into his room. Deciding it was better to see what was going on, Edmund walked into the darkened room. It stank of stale air, like Humphrey hadn't left it in weeks. He hadn't and it showed. Papers littered the floor as did various other instruments. _

_His eyes travelled to the window where moonlight was beaming through the glass. In the glow of the light laid a boy. Edmund was suddenly very alarmed by the appearance of the boy. He seized Humphrey by his collar._

"_What in blazes have you done, Humphrey? You can't defy God!" Edmund yelled in Humphrey's face, "You can't have! Say you didn't!"_

"_I brought him back, Edmund, I brought my brother back from beyond the grave," Humphrey blurted, "I saw him not a month after the accident walking these very halls. He was not gone, he was stuck between realms. I had to save him, Edmund. He's my brother!"_

"_You've gone mad!" Edmund exclaimed, "Mad. This obsession has led you to madness, lunacy."_

"_Not I," Humphrey said cheerfully, "Not Humphrey Shinji. I have prevailed against the forces of nature! I have my brother back!"_

"_Blasphemy," Edmund scolded, "Humphrey what are you going to do? You can't be seen with him, they'd lock you up for blasphemy, crimes against God."_

"_I do not care, I have my brother back," Humphrey yelled._

"_Well, well, I can't say I was expecting this."_

_Edmund and Humphrey turned round sharply to see Mort Sinclair stood in the door way. _

"_Mister Sinclair," Edmund said uncertainly, "What can I do for you?"_

"_I saw that Humphrey's door was open," Sinclair said, "Finally, I thought, I can get all the inheritance I deserve."_

"_What nonsense is that?" Humphrey snapped, "Leave now. Go."_

_Sinclair was not phased by Humphrey's orders. He dug into his cloak, pulling out a small pocket knife. He pointed it at Humphrey in a threatening way. _

"_You sir, are un-Godly," Sinclair stated, "You will burn in the depths of hell for this act. Edmund, go now to fetch the servants."_

"_Do not," Humphrey barked. Edmund rolled his eyes as he danced on the spot._

"_I wasn't going to go, Humphrey," Edmund told his friend, "I could not."_

"_Then I shall have to kill you all," Sinclair said calmly. He lashed out, slicing Humphrey's cheek. He yelled and fell back onto his chair. Edmund stood in front of him in his defence but forgot about Freddie who was laid on the floor. The boy had begun to stir. He slowly looked up._

"_Brother? What is going on? Mr Sinclair? What are you doing?" Freddie asked timidly. Sinclair walked up to the boy, pausing at a small golden contraption on the desk. Slowly Sinclair picked it up, studying it. _

"_Put that down," Humphrey snapped, "Do not touch it!"_

_Sinclair smiled. Freddie looked up at him, wondering why he was smiling in such a way. With a stomp and a twist, Freddie lay dead under Sinclair's foot. _

"_NO!" Humphrey yelled. Edmund, shocked into stillness, stared at Freddie. The boy lingered for a moment then he faded into nothing. Sinclair stepped back in surprise, his eyebrows raised._

"_You monster," Edmund spat, "You killed him."_

"_But the first of the deaths this evening, Edmund," Sinclair said passively, "Next shall be you."_

_Edmund let out a roar and charged at Sinclair. They struggled. All the while Humphrey sat in his chair, nursing his cheek and staring where his brother had been. The strange device that Humphrey had made fell out of Sinclair's hand, shattering on impact with the floor. Sinclair and Edmund did not seem to notice and fought some more. Suddenly, Edmund found himself in a choke hold. Within seconds his throat was crushed, leaving him breathless and lifeless. Sinclair chucked his body carelessly on the floor. _

_Now he turned to Humphrey._

"_No I kill you, sir," he announced. Humphrey looked up at Sinclair, still dazed at what had occurred only minutes before. His brother and best friend were now gone. The two people he loved more than anything were now dead. He was more than prepared to die this day now. _

_Sinclair stepped, crushing the device under his foot. The device slipped on the wooden floor. Sinclair stumbled and landed on the floor, his knife piercing his chest. He yelled as he rolled onto his side and pulled the knife from his body. Humphrey just sat and watched in fear as blood trickled onto the floor, towards the device. The moment the blood touched the gold, there was a glow and Sinclair disappeared completely._

"_Good lord, what have I done?" Humphrey whispered._

**So now you know the whole poop. I hope this chapter didn't disappoint :) Even if it was a little gruesome in places!**

**Please review!**

**RSx**


	39. The March

**Sorry this is so late ^_^' I meant to post it last night and ended up rearranging some folders on my computer. I didn't have a complete chapter ready for Wednesday so here's your very delayed posting!**

**Thanks to lightwolfheart, OffMyTea, splitheart1120, Starfire1407 and ninetailsgirl94 for reviewing. Harmony of White Roses is now my most reviewed story! Thank you so much guys!**

**Chapter Thirty-Nine: The March**

Paul looked highly confused as Rusty stopped talking but not because of the story. Silence rung through the room as the story ended and all the teens took their time to digest the information. Rusty stared at the floor as if he was suddenly depressed, the memories of his friends so long ago made him feel a little bit home sick and sad but that was understandable. Finally Ash moved. He put his fist on the floor with a muffled sound.

"So that's it," Ash stated, "That's how it started."

"Bu it still doesn't explain how you're a dog, Rusty," May said. She had a point there. There were still some things missing like how Rusty -or Edmund- was changed into a dog.

"After I died, Sinclair became the lord of the house," Rusty explained, "And tried to kill Humphrey a few more times but I stopped him. He didn't like this so got rid of me, put me in this useless form. Then Drew came along, then Misty, then Paul, Dawn, May and finally Leaf."

"And there will be another one," Paul stated. Rusty nodded. Dawn fidgeted on the spot for a few seconds, suddenly very restless.

"I don't understand," Dawn said carefully, "What does Mort want? He's powerful, but what more does he want?"

"He wants this house," Paul replied coldly, "He wants what he's always wanted. This house and money."

"And why would he want that if he's dead?" Drew asked in a rather sarcastic manner.

"Well, we weren't dead for a while," May suggested, "Remember when we were human a year ago?"

The ghosts thought about this for a few seconds. Dawn blushed slightly while Paul looked away from the group as if he was musing about something. Misty had a small smile on her face as she remembered the time fondly. Drew and May looked at each other, grinning. Leaf felt slightly out of the loop but didn't say anything. She merely floated around the room without much control until Dawn grabbed her shoulders and kept her still.

"Thanks," Leaf said, rubbing her head in embarrassment. Dawn and her shared a small laugh about it since neither minded it.

"So what if Mort could become alive again?" Ash asked.

"He would be able to take the house and money then," Vi agreed with a nod of her head.

"But how could he possibly do that?" Leaf asked, "I mean, the Lazarus Theory is temporary. It only lasts for one moon cycle… or so they say."

"Unless he keeps doing the same thing," Ash said, "But I guess that would cause a problem."

"Wait," Vi said sharply, "Paul said a while back that Mort is looking for eight ghosts for some master plan… What if the master plan is to make him alive again?"

"Using the death force of other ghosts?" Drew scoffed, "Yeah right."

"Actually," Paul said making everyone turn to him with slight horror on their faces, "It would make sense. He doesn't seem to think we're his minions so he doesn't rule us. He seems to be collecting us."

"But there have been a lot of deaths here," May squeaked, "He should've been able to do this years ago."

"That is right," Paul agreed, "I saw the ghost of a maid who used to work here in the cemetery last year. We talked. That would mean that he could've chosen anyone and have it over and done with by now."

"Unless," Leaf countered, "Unless there are only some people who can be ghosts here of all places."

"Oh, I get it," Ash said, cluing into what Leaf was saying, "It's the anchor. You see, there are many theories about why ghosts haunt certain places. Elizabeth the First haunts a castle she grew up in, not the one she died in. It's because something anchored her there that only she would know. Something kept you here."

"Well… Dawn," Paul said pointing at the ex-maid. Dawn blinked a few times wondering what he was talking about. It seemed to click after a few seconds and she smiled.

"I never wanted to leave the house that let me work," Dawn told the group, "This was the place that saved me from the workhouse you know."

The other ghosts thought about it for a while until they all decided what it was that could have kept them here. May nodded and smiled as she thought of her reason.

"And I never wanted to leave my friends behind," May said, "I needed to know that they were safe."

"My friends were here too," Leaf mumbled, "I didn't want to say good bye. This place makes me happy… somehow."

"Leaf," Vi said. She rubbed her eyes roughly. "Damn it, you're making me cry."

"Sorry," Leaf said hurriedly, "I didn't mean too. Are you OK?"

"I'll be fine," Vi replied. Leaf tried to put her hand on Vi's shoulder but failed. Dawn grabbed Leaf's other hand and helped her to become solid enough to comfort Vi.

"There was no one to look after my dad," Drew said as if explained everything.

"I had to protect the family," Rusty yipped. Everyone turned to Misty who had been quiet for the last ten minutes. She fidgeted slightly on her spot.

"I wanted a proper, permanent home," she said finally, "In a house exactly like this one."

"So that's it then," Ash said happily, "You've all been anchored to this place."

"So why was the maid in the cemetery?" Leaf asked. Silence fell again only to be broken a few minutes later by Dawn going 'ooh'.

"Her mother was buried there," Dawn replied, "Lily lost her mother a month after I came to the house you see. She was buried at the cemetery. She used to go every Sunday after church to look at the grave and say a prayer."

"See," Ash beamed.

"Wow, Ash, I'm impressed," Vi remarked, tossing her hair over her shoulders, "You're actually right about something for once."

"Oh shut up," Ash complained, putting his hands over his ears. The others laughed at the step-siblings, apart from Paul who merely look amused.

"Usually you have to rely on Gary for the answers," Vi went on.

"Gary!" Ash yelped, "Aw man, I seriously forgot."

With that he was on his feet. He danced on the spot for a few seconds until he zoomed down stairs, banging the door behind as he went. The others remained in the attic, staring clueless at the door.

"Same old Ash," Leaf said finally.

"Yeah," was the consensus.

~G~

Gary checked his watched for the fifth time, making sure that the contraption wasn't running fast. No, it was the right time which meant that Ash was running very behind schedule. This meant that Ash was so dead.

He kicked the floor for a few seconds, wondering what he could do to pass the time. Maybe he should go to the house to make sure he was alright.

"Gary!" came the yelling from down the lane. Gay looked over his shoulder to see Ash running with Vi not far behind him. What was Vi doing here? So much for a guy day.

"Took you long enough, Ash," Gary scolded Ash but Ash wasn't paying attention. Ash grabbed Gary's left arm while Vi grabbed his other.

"We need to go home, now," Vi told him.

"Erm… alrigh-ah!" Gary yelped as he was frog marched all the way back to the Shinji Manor.

**To be honest I have no idea when the next chapter will be updated because I am super busy with Uni work and my writing course T_T I'll try to get something written for you all though!**

**Please review!**

**RSx**


	40. The Moon Through the Window

**Right, from now on Harmony of White Roses will only be updated on Saturdays because I have no time to write fic during the week! Wah! Sorry for that guys!**

**Thanks to Starfire1407, splitheart1120, OffMyTea, Etoile of the twilight, LuckyTigger, greenmonkey24 and ninetailsgirl94 for reviewing! Thanks for everyone who has favourited and alerted this story too. Big milestone here: Chapter 40! It's thanks to all you people reading that this story has gone on as long as it has. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon but I do own my very own Dawn and Paul knitted plushies XD**

**Chapter Forty: The Moon Through the Window**

As Gary stared at Leaf with wide eyes and his mouth hanging open, Leaf smiled awkwardly back at him not quite sure what she should do next. The other ghosts watched the pair oddly for a few seconds until Drew decided it was time to interfere. He went to speak but found he had nothing to say. The silence continued with the horrible tension that had to be broken by something. Anything.

So Drew pushed May forwards. Unfortunately for both Drew and May, May wasn't expecting the shove nor did the laws of physics apply to ghosts so when Drew pushed May she went sailing through the air, through the nearest wall and disappeared with a loud scream.

Paul, Dawn and Misty turned to face Drew with frowns on their faces. Drew rubbed his head nervously.

"Oops?" he said.

"You'll pay for that DREW!" May yelled as she zoomed back into the room and began wrestling Drew to the floor. Paul, Dawn and Misty turned back to Leaf and Gary, ignoring the fact their friend would be twice dead in a few minutes if May's assault continued in the way it was.

"You look… freaked out," Leaf said slowly.

"I feel as if I've seen a ghost," Gary replied, "Forgive the cliché."

"Nah, I know how you feel," Leaf brushed him off. She then raised a finger to her lips and thought about this for a few seconds. "Well, sort of."

Gary watched as Leaf began rising up from the floor to the ceiling. Dawn and Misty quickly floated up to her and helped her back to the floor.

"Thanks," Leaf muttered, blushing slightly. There was another lapse of silence (apart from the sound of May beating up Drew in the background).

"Well, this is awkward," Ash said, "I didn't think this would be this awkward."

"You're used to weird, I take longer to accept it," Gary snapped.

"Yeah, the first time he saw Dawn and I, he passed out," Paul added. Gary glared at Paul as Leaf and Vi began laughing at him. Paul slipped his hands into his pockets and smirked at the brunette. "Well, anyway, I have things to… do."

"Such as?" Gary asked.

"I haven't decided yet," Paul replied, "But what ever I decide it will be important."

"It's been nice seeing you too, Paul," Gary mumbled as Paul floated up into the attic. Misty let out a sigh.

"I'll save Drew," she said loudly. With that she left the group to haul May off of Drew before she could do any permanent damage.

As soon as Misty left Leaf's side, Leaf began to drift upwards again. Luckily Dawn grabbed her shoulder and pushed her back to the floor.

"Sorry," Leaf said to Dawn.

"It's no trouble," Dawn replied, "You still haven't got the hang of your powers so don't worry about it."

"What do you mean, not got the hang of her powers?" Gary asked.

"Well, we've been in a room for the past year so she's a bit behind on learning how to make sure she doesn't float away and where walls and floors are supposed to be. Paul has a whole physics lesson about it," Dawn replied a little vaguely, "But Paul's teaching her a little day by day, right?"

"Yeah," Leaf replied shyly, "He is."

"Oh," Gary said, "So you spend a lot of time with Paul then?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Dawn snapped before Leaf could get there. Dawn put her hands on her hips, scowling at the living teen. Gary realised his mistake and took a few steps backwards. He fell into line beside Ash and Vi.

"Erm… nothing," Gary stuttered, "Its good she's around Paul… It means Mort can't hurt her…"

"And why would he hurt her now?" Dawn asked, raising an eyebrow. Dawn's attention suddenly flickered and she rose up to the attic. Gary and the others watched her phase through the ceiling with confusion on their faces. Only Drew and Misty seemed to understand what had happened.

"They're at that are they?" Drew said, rubbing his head, "Wonder what's up with Paul."

"What if it's not Paul?" Gary asked. Dawn returned as quickly as she left. She lingered for a few seconds before she went through the floor.

"How odd," Ash muttered, "What is she up to?"

"I have no idea," Misty said, "Maybe I should go and ask her."

"No point," Paul's voice came from the ceiling. He returned to the room with a graceful fall. "She's just finding Rusty. Drew, seeing as you're still… dead, can you come and help me with something?"

"Sure," Drew replied, "What ever you need."

"May, stay with Leaf and Vi," Paul went on, "And Misty, take Gary and Ash into the museum."

"What for?" Misty asked.

"I need you to find the painting that used to hang on the second floor in the second library," Paul told Misty slowly. Misty nodded energetically.

"Oh, I used to love that painting," Misty said, "With the moon and the window and the rose on the floor. Oh, such a pretty picture."

"If it's not in the museum, find it," Paul said, ignoring how happy Misty seemed to be, "When you find it, come and fetch me."

"OK, Paul," Misty said happily. She quickly raced out of the room with Gary and Ash hot on her heels. They had no idea why Misty was running but they didn't bother to ask.

The museum was busy since it was a weekend so Ash and Gary had to be very careful not to lose sight of Misty. It wasn't difficult since she was floating above everyone in the room.

"She seems happy," Gary mumbled to Ash, "It's off putting."

"Tell me about it," Ash agreed, "I have no idea what she's looking for. I've never seen a painting like that in here."

"Maybe you over looked it," Gary suggested with a shrug. Ash nodded slowly but something at the back of his mind told him he had never seen a painting like that before in his life. Misty zoomed through the various rooms of the museum quickly, looking more and more annoyed with each room she went from. Ash and Gary struggled to keep up with her and several times they lost her. Finally they gave up and waited for Misty to come find them.

"Guys, its not here," she told them, "It's not anywhere. I can't find it."

"That's great," Gary said sarcastically, "Paul sends us on a wild goose chase and we come up empty handed. He's going to be mad, isn't he?"

"I'm worried," Misty said slowly, "Whatever Paul wanted that painting for must have been important. Where could it have gone?"

"When was the last time you saw it?" Ash asked quietly so that people around them didn't think they were talking to themselves. Misty thought about it for a short while until she clicked her fingers.

"I know, back in 1922," she said happily, "Right before Paul's sister… Uh oh… She took the picture."

"You remember that now?" Gary snapped. Misty rubbed her head nervously but then her temper rose.

"Hey, when you've lived for over a hundred and fifty years, it takes a little while to remember every little thing!" she yelled. It just so happened that after she yelled at Gary, someone walked through her. "Ah! That's weird! Hey, lady, can't you see I'm floating here? Some people have no manners at all…"

"Erm… Mist?" Ash said slowly, "You do realise only we can see you?"

"Whatever," Misty snapped.

"We should go and tell Paul about this," Gary said to Ash.

"He won't be impressed," Ash mumbled. Misty nodded in agreement. Slowly they made their way back to the attic so they could tell Paul the bad news. However Paul didn't seem as angry as they thought he'd be.

"Yeah, I know," he said blankly, "I asked Harold and he said his grandmother had taken it."

"Say what?" Gary asked, his mouth falling open.

"You sent us on a wild goose chase even when you knew the answer?" Ash snapped, pointing threateningly at the ghost teen. Paul looked at Ash's finger then at his face.

"I was about to send Drew to get you back here," Paul said, "Harold told me the painting isn't in the house anymore."

"That's great," Vi said from the corner of the room. She was flicking through an old book with May and Leaf on either side of her.

"Can you get it back?" Leaf asked, "Maybe if Harold asked to borrow it?"

"I did ask," Paul replied, "But he said no one in the family had it anymore."

"He sold it?" Misty yelped, "How could he!"

"It's not been sold," Paul told Misty, "You're not going to believe this."

"What?" Misty asked, her anger disappearing instantly.

"It's in the Shinji Family Tomb," Paul stated.

**Well, this seemed like the best place to stop it. I hope it doesn't suck too much. I'll try to get a couple of chapters written this week sometime so I can get onto regular updates again *sigh* Too much work.**

**Please review!**

**RSx**


	41. The Heist

**Sorry it's taken me so long to update this story! I've been super busy and haven't been able to write anything at all. I probably won't update until after the 14th of November because I've got two deadlines coming up T_T**

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

**Chapter Forty-One: The Heist**

"You have got to be kidding me, Paul," Ash barked as he paced up and down the room impatiently. The ghosts watched him walk backwards and forwards while Gary and Vi stood with their arms crossed. "You can't do that."

"Why can't I?" Paul asked, "We can't leave the house while the sun is up but at night we can."

"Then why haven't you before?" Ash snapped.

"Because there was nothing for us to go into the village for," Drew replied, "I took Rusty and Misty there years ago while there was a full moon, had no problems."

"How come you never told me that?" May asked but she didn't seem angry.

"You never asked," Drew said, "No one did until now."

"The next full moon is tomorrow," Paul told Ash and Gary, "And I am going to the Shinji Tomb to get that picture. I need you two to help me, got that?"

"No," Ash said, "We refuse to do that. We could get arrested or worse."

"What's worse than getting arrested?" Leaf asked serenely. Vi and Gary looked at Ash waiting for an answer.

"We could get eaten by Zombies!" Ash yelled, "Especially in grave yards!"

"Zombies?" Drew scoffed, "Like they would exist."

"Ghosts do," Misty reminded him.

"Oh yeah," Drew sighed. He smirked. "You two are going to get your brains eaten by Zombies then."

"Three," Vi corrected him, "I'm going too."

"And me," Dawn said, "I'm not letting you do this alone Paul."

"I'll go," Rusty yipped, "Dawn should stay here to make sure Mort doesn't attack."

"But... That's not fair," Dawn cried, "I've been over ruled by a dog! Paul?"

"He's right," Paul said with a nod, "Dawn stay here to help the others. I have no idea how Mort may react to us not being here."

"Fine," Dawn snapped but she pouted for a few seconds.

"Surely it would be safer if we all went with you," Drew said, folding his arms. Paul looked at Drew like he was a complete and utter moron. Soon Misty and Dawn were looking at him in this way too. Drew seemed oblivious to the stares he was getting and floated in the air, waiting for an answer to his question.

"And have you been chased round by May, Misty randomly wondering around and Rusty going where ever the smells take him? No doubt Dawn would get lost and Leaf will want to go look at pretty things to paint," Paul said, "What do you think now?"

"Fair point," Drew said quickly and shrank back to the wall.

"So what is the plan?" Gary asked, rubbing his hands together. Paul smirked like an evil genius and began to voice his musings.

"I don't like this plan very much," Ash mumbled to Gary as they walked through the graveyard that night. It was past twelve. The moon was shining eerily in the sky. It was a clear night too so it was quite cold. The graveyard looked bleak and scary with only the small torch light to see. Ash walked closely behind Gary while Vi walked ahead of them both.

"Hey, Vi, to say you were scared of ghosts you're pretty brave," Gary commented. Vi laughed softly.

"After befriending a couple of ghosts I figured there couldn't be anything worse," she said. Vi shone a light on the path, flinching as she saw Paul's heels move just out of the spotlight. Paul was walking where ever he liked, mostly to scare Ash but every now and again he'd appear somewhere where no one was expecting him, making them jump.

"This way," Paul told them.

"Keep it down," hissed something from a gravestone. Paul glanced at said gravestone and apologised quickly. Vi didn't bother to see what Paul talking too. She became aware that ghosts were popping out of their graves to see who was around at such a late hour. Ash yelped a few times.

"Z-zombies?" he asked.

"Ghosts, Ash, ghosts," Gary replied. Gary looked round at the crowd of ghosts craning to get a better look at them. Paul didn't seem to mind them at all, in fact he stopped a few times to talk to a few of them.

"Wow," Vi said, "It's like a Ghost-a-thon."

"Yeah," Gary agreed, "Maybe we should invite them to a Halloween Party. They would really fit in."

"Real ghosts at a Halloween Party?" Vi asked, "Remember what happened the last time we had ghosts at a party?"

"Don't remind me," Gary replied darkly. Silence ensued until they reached the Shinji Tomb where Rusty was waiting for them. The dog ghost was sat patiently, wagging his tail by the door. Paul walked straight into the vault with Rusty not far behind him.

"Thanks for waiting," Gary grumbled.

"Here," Vi said, snatching the key off her scared step-brother and unlocking the door. The three of them edged into the tomb, closing the door after Ash. They walked down a flight of stone stairs until they reached the large tomb chamber. "Paul?"

"Over here," Paul said. He was stood in the centre of the chamber looking up at the wall.

"What are you looking at?" Gary asked as they closed in on him. Paul pointed to the wall.

"There it is," Paul replied, "The painting. I can't remember seeing it before."

Gary and Vi shone their torches onto the place where Paul was pointing and sure enough, the large canvas painting was hung over the tombs of the most recent Shinji family.

"How did you see that in the dark?" Ash asked.

"I'm a ghost," Paul said, "I don't think physics apply to me."

He floated up to the painting and phased through it. He kept appearing then disappearing as he inspected it closely.

"There should be some information on the back of the painting," Rusty told the others, "But it's a matter of finding it."

"Damn," Paul cursed from above, "This is a new frame. It's covering up the old one."

"What are you going to do then?" Vi asked quietly.

"I'll have to take it apart," Paul sighed, "Not that I wanted to but this is why I came."

"Be careful," Vi told him.

"There's a latch on the top of the frame."

"WAH!"

"ZOMBIE!"

Paul glanced down at the three teens. Gary and Ash were embracing each other tightly while Vi was poised to attack. Rusty was barking loudly, making the noise echo in the old room. Not far in front them stood a young girl with purple hair wearing a white dress. She giggled at them, raising her hand to her mouth. Paul spied the familiar glint of red on her finger.

"Liza," Paul said, dropping down to the floor.

"Hello, little brother," Elizabeth replied happily, "I thought I'd hang around here for a century or so to see if you'd pop round. Typical that when you did, I was dozing."

"I saw you waving," Paul said. Elizabeth smiled then launched herself at Paul. Paul caught her and hugged her in one motion.

"Awh, you're so cute!" she cried, "After all this time!"

"How is she here?" Vi squeaked, "Like that?"

Elizabeth pulled off of Paul and turned to Vi. The two of them stared at each other for a few seconds while Ash and Gary looked between them.

"They're identical," Gary muttered.

"Oh, you're Harold's daughter," Elizabeth said, "Violet. I've heard about you. Your father told me about you the last time he came here."

"Oh… really?" Vi asked.

"I'm your great grandmother," Elizabeth went on, happily, "No wonder we look the same."

"Liza?" Paul said, pointing at the painting, "Care to help?"

"Oh, right," Elizabeth said. The two ghosts flew up to the painting and began to get it to the floor. Rusty went to help by telling them how far away from the ground they were. Vi watched Paul and Elizabeth work with a mixture of surprise and horror on her face.

"She's awfully… nice," Vi commented.

"Yeah," Gary agreed, "Pretty too. No wonder she had so many kids."

"Oi," Vi snapped, hitting Gary over the head with her torch, "That's my great grandmother your talking about."

"Ouch," Gary hissed. He rubbed his head where Vi had whacked him. "Sorry."

"Let's go before more of them come," Ash said shakily.

"Shut up Ash," Vi told him.

Paul and Elizabeth had successfully put the painting on the floor, however they had misjudged where they had put it. Rusty glared at them as he walked out of the portrait, wagging his tail as if it had been squished.

"Right, the latch is on the top," Elizabeth said. Paul was about to fly up to the latch when Elizabeth pulled him down again. She smiled at him. "When you open the painting, I'll move on."

Paul stared at her and nodded once.

"I knew that you'd come here one day to get this painting," Elizabeth explained, "So when I died and was buried here, I came back so I could see you again. One last time. And it's so good I've seen you twice. Thank you."

"Sorry I made you wait," Paul said, "But I am glad I get to say good bye properly."

"Oh my baby brother!" Elizabeth cried, wrapping her arms round Paul again. Paul hugged her back, not complaining about the way she jumped on him. "I'm so proud of you. I miss you so much too. I wish I could've seen you back in the house. I love you very much."

"Thanks," Paul muttered, "I'll miss you too. I have missed you a lot you know but don't stay behind because of me."

He pulled away from his sister but held her hands tightly in his. He smiled at her, a true sincere smile.

"I have an afterlife back at the house so don't worry about me," he told her, "Go to your husband and mama and father… and brother if you're desperate."

"No I'm not that desperate," Elizabeth commented.

"I'll have a good afterlife," Paul went on, "With good people, with good friends. And Dawn's with me so… I'll always have someone to keep me out of trouble."

"Either you'll be out of it or you will be it," Elizabeth laughed, "I had a very good life, Paul. I just wish you were in it more."

"Same here," Paul agreed with a nod, "Good bye, Liza. I love you."

"I love you too, Paul," Elizabeth replied. She lent into Paul and kissed his temple. "Forever and ever, no matter where we are."

"Forever and ever, no matter where we are," Paul repeated. He flew up to the latch and paused, waiting for Elizabeth to give him the signal. She squatted down to give Rusty a scratch under the chin then she turned to Vi and the two teens.

"I'm so glad I met you," she said, "Take care of yourselves and have very good lives. I'll see you two again."

"Wait," Ash said, "Us two? There's three of us."

Elizabeth's smile faltered for a second before she laughed loudly.

"Good bye," she said. She turned up to Paul and waved at him. "Good bye, little brother."

"Bye, Liza," Paul muttered. He flipped the latch and Elizabeth began to fade out of view. Within seconds she was gone. Ash rushed to where she had been floating.

"Wait! What did you mean?" he yelled.

"Ash, calm down," Vi told him. Ash looked at her then up at Paul who was making himself busy. "Let's help him, OK?"

"Right," Gary agreed.

Paul looked at the back of the painting and sure enough what he was looking for was there. He took the back off the canvas and plucked an envelope from its hiding place. He looked over it and smiled.

"I got it," he said, "Now we should hurry back home."

He put the painting back together and left it on the floor of the chamber. He paused, staring at the painting. He only looked away when he heard Rusty whine.

"Paul, you OK?" Vi asked. Paul nodded and handed her the envelope to look after. She placed it in her coat pocket carefully.

"Let's just go," he said, "I don't know about you, but this place gives me the creeps. Too many eyes on me."

"Wait, what?" Ash asked.

"Let's go," Paul repeated. He led the way back to the stairs while Ash mumbled to himself about Zombies. Just before they locked up the front door Paul looked into the gloom.

"Bye," he muttered.

**I hope that was alright for people. Also I would like to mention I have a contest running until the end of December. I hope people will have a go :) Check out my profile for more details!**

**RSx**


	42. The Realisation

**Yes people I am back. Although I have got some work to be doing I have not got as much as I had and my plot fairies have finally been let out so I can write again! Yay!**

**Also, I am going to promote my contest. Please enter it! I'm making the winner cyber trophies and also giving out other prizes in the form of taking requests to the winners. Yes, that's right. There are three things to win! Check out the details of my Could-be-Annual Original contest on my profile. Don't be scared to think outside the box (it's not scary) I just want people to have a mess around with clichés and stuff. Try something new. Fic and Poetry accepted!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Chapter Forty Two: The Realisation**

Nothing else really happened as the teens walked back to the Shinji House. Paul was greeted by Dawn on the outskirts of the Manor land with a big hug.

"Is something wrong?" she asked as she pulled away from him. Paul shook his head and took her hand in his. Dawn seemed a little confused at him doing this but didn't comment. She looked over her shoulder at Vi. "Did you have fun?"

"You call sneaking out of the house in the dead of night, walking in a graveyard in the dark, breaking into the family crypt and stealing an old envelop fun?" Gary asked.

"Yeah, it was alright," Vi replied, ignoring Gary. Gary sighed loudly. He grabbed Ash's jacket and pulled the still scared boy along. Vi walked behind the pair, smiling at them in an oddly evil way. Rusty ran ahead, barking loudly. He quickly disappeared into the long grass. Dawn glanced at Paul.

"You sure you're alright?" she asked.

"I wish you'd have gone with me tonight," Paul told her quietly. Dawn nodded then smiled.

"That's why I came to wait for you," she said. They started to make their way back to the house but not in any rush. "So did something happen?"

"My sister was there," Paul replied, "And now she's moved on."

"Oh," Dawn said. She looked up at the house and smiled fondly at the old place. It was definitely much nicer now that it had people living in it, she thought. It was like the good old days when she used to work there. She felt Paul rub his thumb over the back of her hand. "Do you think we'll ever move on?"

"I don't care if I do or not," Paul said after a pause. Dawn looked at him, pouting. He closed his eyes and smirked. "As long as we're all together I don't really mind where we are. We're rather lucky to have had the opportunity to stay here and get to know each other. What ever happens, I don't want to get separated."

"Does this mean you don't find Drew and May totally annoying?" Dawn asked in a teasing manner. Paul opened his eyes and looked at Dawn, still smirking. He then looked up at the sky.

"It adds a spice to afterlife," Paul replied honestly, "When I see them two messing around it makes me feel as though we're still alive. Nothing has changed."

"I doubt it will," Dawn said. She stepped in front of Paul making him stop in tracks. She titled her head to one side and giggled.

"I'm glad," Paul said. Dawn went up on her tip-toes and gently pecked Paul on the lips. He smiled at her.

"Let's go get the others," she said. She turned and dragged him along behind her as she ran towards the house. All the way, Paul had a small smirk on his face like he was thoroughly enjoying being dragged along.

"Are they back yet?"

"No."

"Are they back now?"

"No."

"How about now?"

"Still no, Drew."

"Right. Sorry… Now?"

"For the love of-"

"OW!"

"Misty please don't kill Drew," Leaf said distractedly. She and May were huddled in one corner of the attic while the other two were floating around impatiently. Leaf was showing May how to draw a pattern with a pencil she had found on Ash's floor. May thought it was slightly odd that Leaf had the ability to pick up anything that could be used for art but failed to mention this to the young ghost's face. Things were usually slightly whacky with ghosts when they had just died. It took a while for their powers to adapt. Even now, Leaf was under constant surveillance to make sure she didn't fall through the floor boards or shoot up into the ceiling. May glanced up at Misty and Drew with a coy smile on her face.

"Yeah, Mist," May said, "That's my job to kill him!"

"Yeah well," Misty snapped, "Don't deny an old ghost her pleasures."

"Well… You are the oldest female in this room," Drew joked. A vein throbbed visibly in Misty's forehead for a split second until she let out a roar. She picked up Drew, of course without the rule of physics it was relatively easy, and threw him through the floor boards with another roar of rage. Neither May nor Leaf seemed bothered by Misty's behaviour, rather they went back to drawing.

"Keep it down," May said after a moment's pause, "Don't wake the dead."

"Sorry," Misty replied, her temper returning to normal slowly. She rubbed her head and walked over see what Leaf was drawing. She peered onto the floorboards and smiled at the complex but beautiful pattern that Leaf had created. "Wow, that's pretty."

"Thanks," Leaf chimed brightly, "I used to draw stuff like this all the time when Ash was in my class. All my books were covered in these sorts of pictures. The teachers really used to hate me for it but there wasn't much they could do about it apart from tear up my books."

"That would have been counter productive," May said.

"Yup," Leaf agreed. Misty opened her mouth to say something but before a syllable left her lips, a loud cry erupted from the lower levels of the house.

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!"

"That can't be good," May said. Misty looked around, narrowing her eyes at the floorboards. Something was going on downstairs but what was it. Leaf looked up from her pattern.

"That was Harold's voice," she stated.

"Wait here," Misty told the other two, "I'll go check it out."

"Be careful," Leaf said. Misty paused for a second before she grinned widely.

"What can they do, Leaf? Kill me?" she asked. There was a short giggle from Leaf as she realised her mistake. May gently stroked her shoulder in a comforting way, smiling at the brunette.

Misty floated down towards the back door of the house where she found the three living teens with Rusty sat at their feet and Dawn, Paul and Drew hovering by their shoulders. Harold was stood in front of all of them, whether he saw them all or not was a different matter, with a face like thunder. He looked very angry and yet somehow relieved.

"Dad, we can explain," Vi said.

"I don't care," Harold barked, "What the heck were you thinking leaving the house at this hour? You know I was in a real state when I found that Gary and Ash were gone, seemingly disappeared. I would have thought you'd be a little more careful especially after what happened last year."

"Sorry, Harold," Paul said, "It was my fault."

"Stay out of it," Harold told Paul harshly. Paul looked at Dawn with a pout but she didn't seem to find it funny. "Have you any idea what this could have done to Delia?"

"Once again, Harold, it was my fault," Paul said. Paul floated forwards so that he was now stood between the teens and the man. Harold eyed Paul carefully for a few seconds, waiting for an explanation. "We needed some information from the Shinji Tomb but I can't leave the grounds in sun light so I asked them to come with me. They were in no danger, I assure you. Actually, Vi met your grandmother."

"Well, I understand that… Wait, what?" Harold spluttered looking stumped.

"Yeah, I met great Gran," Vi said, "You were right, she was really nice and pretty. She says hi by the way."

"That's great Vi… Wait," Harold snapped, "I'm mad at you three. Go back to bed this instant and Paul."

"Yes," Paul said.

"Don't ever, ever, ever make them go to graveyard at night with you again!" Harold yelled. Paul nodded dumbly a few times, paling ever so slightly (not that the others could tell). No one had ever talked to him like that before. It was somewhat of a shock to his system and made a slight bit a guilt twinge at his insides.

Slowly the three living teens walked to their rooms with Harold not far behind them leaving the ghosts to stare after the enraged father.

"Well…" Drew said, "At least we know where he gets it from."

Slowly all eyes fell onto Paul who, when he realised what Drew meant, became slightly annoyed. Within a few seconds Drew was hurtling through the nearest wall having being blasted by a strong gust of wind.

"That doesn't mean any thing," Paul muttered.

"Sure it doesn't," Misty commented. Paul ignored her for the most part. He cupped his chin with his hand as he began to think over something Eliza had said in the tomb.

"Something wrong, Paul?" Dawn asked.

"I'm not sure," Paul replied honestly. There was a long silence, only broken when Drew staggered into the room holding his head.

"That hurt," he moaned.

"You're a ghost," Misty told him, "You don't have nerves."

"I do when Paul hits me," Drew mumbled.

"Eliza said that she would meet two of them again," Paul stated, "In the tomb she said that."

"What happened?" Dawn asked softly, placing her hand in the crook of Paul's elbow.

"She moved on," Rusty replied, "To the beyond."

"What would keep a person from moving onto the beyond?" Drew asked.

"Becoming a ghost," Paul replied, "Damn."

"Damn what?" Drew asked. Misty slapped him on the back of his head with a long sigh. "Ow."

"One of them is going to be a ghost," Misty said, directing this at Paul rather than at Drew. Drew made a small 'o' shape with his mouth to signal that he understood what was going on now. Paul nodded grimly.

"Wait," Dawn gasped, "No. No tell me no."

"Sorry," Paul sighed, "But there's no other way around it. One of those three is the last one of us."

**This is a tad short but I wanted to post something to show to you that I am still here. I haven't been crushed in a freak library or radio related accident :)**

**Please review!**

**RSx**


	43. The Stupid Plan

**Erg, still trying to sort out my new update scheme so bear with me. Sorry I haven't updated this in a while but here's chapter 43.**

**Thanks to xPinkSunshinex, splitheart1120 and ninetailsgirl94 for reviewing :)**

**I own nothing.**

**Chapter Forty-Three: The Stupid Plan**

Paul was pacing which was quite odd. To say that it was odd was an understatement. The attic of the Shinji manor had fallen into the deadliest of silences the moment Paul began his pacing. The ghosts, the vengeful poltergeist and the talking dog had nothing on Paul pacing, this was generally weird.

May was stroking Rusty gently as the others watched Paul. Drew was fiddling with his flute in a distracted sort of way while Misty was attempting to keep Leaf from falling through the floor boards. Dawn was the closest to her partner. She looked as worried as the others felt but none of them had the guts to express that. Perhaps it was her youthfulness or her past with Paul, but as Leaf was pulled free of the wooden floorboards she smiled and said:

"I'm getting a partner then?"

Everyone turned to look at her, their eyes wide with shock at such a blunt way to put things. Paul was the only one who didn't look at her, his hand still glued to his chin as he thought. He pacing stopped instantly, leaving him with his back turned to the others. A sudden coldness washed over the room and Leaf had the first inkling that she had said something wrong. She looked round at her new ghostly companions, growing confused at their now-you've-done-it expressions.

"What?" she asked them.

"Leaf," Misty said softly, "It's best not to speak until Paul says something when he's like that."

"Oh," Leaf said with a very long o sound. She rubbed her head quickly. "Sorry."

"It's alright," Misty sighed.

"You should really write a book about the rules around here you know. Would make this all so much easier," Leaf went on.

"Leaf," Drew said causing her to look at him. He merely raised his finger to his lips making Leaf clamp her hands over her mouth as she realised her mistake. She squinted her eyes at Drew to apologise. Drew smiled at her and nodded briefly before he looked back at the frozen Paul.

"She's right," Paul said suddenly. The words buzzed in the room for a few seconds while the others stared blankly at their leader. He moved quickly to run his hand through his hair, cursing under his breath.

"Who?" Leaf asked, unclamping her hands from her mouth then quickly moving them back.

"I'm not sure," Paul replied honestly. He turned to face his friends but he wasn't looking at them. He was staring at the floor with a somewhat annoyed look on his face.

"Well," Drew said slowly, "Maybe we could see if we can find out who it is."

"And how do we do that?" May snapped.

"Well…" Drew said, pausing for thought. Suddenly he clicked his fingers. "To be a ghost you have to be dead, have an 'anchor' thingy and not pass on."

"None of them are dead, all of them have a possible anchor and, again, they're not dead," Misty told Drew.

"He does have a point though," Leaf said. She held up her fist. "To be a ghost you must die."

She raised a finger.

"You have to have an anchor."

Another finger was raised.

"And you have to have some significance something."

"That's a new one," Drew mumbled. Leaf smiled weakly at them.

"Let's look at Dawn, as an example because I think she's the easiest to explain," Leaf said in a matter of fact tone. All ears and eyes were on her now. "Dawn died here. She wanted to stay in the place that was her home forever and Paul was in love with her. Hey presto, she became a ghost."

"That makes sense," May said with a few nods.

"So," Drew said, "Discounting the dead part, who would be the most likely to be a ghost?"

"Let's start with Ash," Misty said, "He is Leaf's oldest friend so he has some significance but I can't say he has something that binds his soul to this place."

"No, Ash doesn't get attached very often," Leaf agreed, "His dad does move around a lot so he used to too. Apart from me, he never really had any friends because he never bothered to make any in case he had to move away."

"Then there's Vi," Drew said, "Who I think would be with her family so her anchor would be where ever they are so she wouldn't be bound to this house."

"But she is Leaf's friend," May said.

"And she does care for all of us," Rusty added with a bark.

"Lastly there is Gary," Paul said slowly, "Who has neither an anchor to this house or a significance to anyone."

"That's harsh," Leaf pouted.

"I know," Paul agreed, "Which is why we should keep an eye on him. Drew, let's see if we can find out more about him."

"I know him," Leaf said, "There's no way he could be the ghost. It's either Vi or Ash."

"I think Ash," Misty said.

"No, Vi," May said loudly.

"Ash can see us," Rusty yipped.

"Well, I'm for Vi," Drew announced, "Since she's going to be the more emotional of the two."

"I think we don't know enough yet," Paul said.

"Well, we could keep our eyes on the ones we think are going to become ghosts," Misty suggested.

"Yeah," Drew agreed, "Stop Mort from killing them."

"I'm going to go check up on Vi," May said hurriedly. She quickly jumped up and through the floor boards. Drew thought this was a good idea and jumped after her. Misty and Rusty glanced at each other then floated downstairs to check on Ash, leaving Paul, Dawn and Leaf staring at where they had been.

"You have a hunch," Dawn stated.

"Yeah," Paul said, "Seeing as the last three ghosts were girls, I think Mort will go for a boy."

"And you think it will be Gary," Dawn said.

"Yeah," Paul replied, "Without a shadow of a doubt."

"Why Gary?" Leaf asked. Paul had to think about this for a minute or two. He was very aware that Dawn and Leaf were staring at him as they waited for an answer.

"Because that's the way Mort works," Paul explained finally, "And I have a gut feeling too. I think Gary has got a connection with this house somehow. We just don't know what it is yet. Besides, he used to come here a lot when this place was abandoned."

"He did?" Leaf asked.

"Yeah," Paul replied with a small smirk, "He used to break into the grounds and just wonder around. It never bothered us and he never made any trouble. I bet that I was the only one who noticed him."

"I never did," Dawn admitted, "Which is slightly off putting."

"Probably the only reason he talked to Ash at school was because Ash lived here," Paul continued.

"Well… I think we should get to know him a little better," Dawn said slowly, "To see if he is the one."

Leaf was about to nod when she suddenly floated up towards the ceiling. Paul and Dawn rushed to grab her and pull her down to the floor.

"Thanks guys," Leaf giggled.

"Scrap that," Paul said, "Dawn, do you mind keeping an eye on Gary for us while I teach Leaf how to be a ghost?"

"OK," Dawn replied with a smile. She thought for a few seconds on how she could find an excuse to get closer to Gary. She glanced at Paul who was showing Leaf how to judge where the floor was. Then an idea hit her. "Oh, that's it…"

"It's just so unfair!" Dawn cried to Gary the following morning. Tears were pouring from her eyes as she talked to the brunette teen. "After all this time and now he doesn't care about me at all!"

"What are you talking about?" Gary asked as he combed his hair. He had only just woken up so he was still feeling a little bit tired. Dawn clicked her tongue and stomped her foot.

"Leaf and Paul!" Dawn screamed, "They're… together."

"What?" Gary snapped, jumping to his feet, "They're together?"

Dawn nodded sheepishly while rubbing her eyes free of her fake tears.

"I know," she said, "He actually kicked me out of the attic so he could spend some time with her yesterday. I'm so depressed. I honestly thought he loved me."

She dissolved into loud tears making Gary feel very uncomfortable in a short amount of time. He had problems comforting normal girls, never mind ghost girls who he couldn't put an arm around and comfort in that way. Realising he hadn't said anything since Dawn had started crying he struggled to find some words to say.

"Hush there," Gary told her, "I'm sure its not like that."

"It is!" Dawn replied, "He doesn't love me any more."

"I'm sure its not that," Gary tried to tell her but the more he watched Dawn cry, the more angry and hurt he began to feel. He slumped back onto his bed. "No way Paul would do that to you, Dawn. I mean… I thought he really liked you. Now Leaf… I can understand that. Paul's such a better person, isn't he?"

"Better than who?" Dawn asked, glancing at Gary through tear fogged eyes.

"Well… me," he replied. Dawn stopped crying instantly and floated across to sit beside Gary.

"You like Leaf?" she asked quietly. Gary nodded.

"Ever since she whacked me over the head with her shoe," he told Dawn.

"Wasn't that when you first met?"

"Yeah," Gary chuckled, "Some are hit by Cupid's arrow but I was whacked by Cupid's shoe."

"How odd," Dawn muttered, "I never thought you liked her that much. I thought you liked Vi not her."

"I love Vi, she's brilliant…" Gary said hurriedly, "But she reminds me so much of my sister that I can't but like her. Leaf's different. Leaf's awesome and smart and cute and… perfect."

"She gets a lot more adjectives than Vi," Dawn muttered, "I wonder how many I would get from Paul."

"A whole list of archaic words that neither of us would understand," Gary joked. Dawn smiled at this.

"Annoying, troublesome, loud, emotional, stupid," Dawn listed. She realised she was smiling fondly at the words she just listed so she shook her head and continued in a sad tone: "That's what he thinks of me now."

"Don't say that," Gary told her.

"If someone you loved was happy with someone else," Dawn said abruptly, "Would you let them go… or would you fight for them?"

"Fight," Gary replied, "What if the other person isn't as good as she thinks then he could break her heart. If you fight for her then you'll either prove she loves you or him and that he loves her as much as she loves him or not. It's better that way. Only then would I be able to back off and allow them to be together."

"Oh," Dawn said dumbly.

"Dawn."

Paul phased through the wall, glancing around the room with a serious look on his face. Dawn squeaked looking between Gary and Paul for a few seconds. Paul stepped into the room instantly seeing that Dawn had red eyes.

"Is something wrong?" he asked. Dawn instantly burst into tears and zoomed out of the room like she was in some real distress. "Dawn! What did you say to her?"

"What did I do?" Gary asked, "You dumped her for Leaf!"

"I didn't!" Paul yelled.

"Well she thinks you did!" Gary yelled back, "You really hurt her feelings by kicking her out of the attic so you could spend time with Leaf."

"I was helping Leaf get a hang of her powers," Paul replied dumbly, "I told her I was. Why would she think that?"

"Because you're ignoring her," Gary told Paul, "You can't toy with her emotions like that Paul. I mean really. I know you have an emotional range of a tea pot but even a moron like you should understand how not to act in front of girls who like you. You should go and apologise to her. Beg for forgiveness."

"Erm… alright," Paul said. He floated out of the room and began searching for Dawn. He was ambushed by the blunette ghost a few seconds later outside Vi's room.

"Sorry," she said hurriedly.

"I think I should be apologising to you… somehow," Paul said, "Or at least Gary told me to."

"No, no, no," Dawn explained hurriedly, "I told Gary that I thought you loved Leaf to get him to talk to me."

"… OK," Paul said, not understanding what was going on at all. He stared at Dawn for a few seconds but realised that he still didn't understand what had just happened. "I'm still confused."

"Sorry," Dawn repeated, "But I had to say something and people tend to talk to you when you're in distress. At the very least I thought I could make him feel so uncomfortable that he would have to talk to me, just to get me to shut up. Sorry he had a go at you."

"No… It's OK," Paul said, "I think."

"You sure?" Dawn asked. Paul nodded then shook his head. He frowned suddenly, folding his arms across his chest.

"Why do you think I like Leaf?" Paul asked finally, "I love you, you know that right?"

"I know," Dawn said, "But… Well… It was a dumb plan but I think it worked."

"Really?" Paul asked, "What did he say?"

"He'd fight for Leaf," Dawn mumbled, "He'd fight to make sure she wouldn't get hurt."

"Oh," Paul said then added after a pause: "Oh dear."

**Hopefully I'll have time to get this written for next Wednesday :) I'm glad that I've had my days off this week so I've had time to do stuff like this. **

**Also, remember to look at my contest ;) You've only got 31 days left people!**

**Please review. I'll give you cyber cookies :)**

**RSx**


	44. The Quest End

**Sorry I've been away for the past two weeks, I really am sorry! I've been totally busy with my Pantomime group then I had some big coursework to do so I just haven't had the time. On the bright side, I'm off for Christmas now so I will have time to write :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

**Chapter Forty Four: The Quest End**

Vi only poked her head out of her door when she was sure Paul and Dawn had finished talking, not really wanting to get in the middle of their conversation. Paul was stood with his arms folded and his hand on his chin while Dawn was hovering round him like she was expecting him to say something more.

"Erm… Paul?" Vi said slowly. Both ghosts turned to look at her with curious expressions on their faces. Vi smiled at them and held up the envelope Paul had given her the other night. "I've got this for you."

"Oh," Paul said, "I'd forgotten about that. Thanks."

Before Vi could reply to this, the envelope shot out of her hand and flew towards Paul. He slowly reached out for it. In a few swift movements it was opened and Paul was reading whatever was inside it. Dawn drifted behind Paul so that she could read over his shoulder.

"Oh no," Paul said sharply, "Oh this is not good."

"What's wrong?" Vi asked, "Is it the end of the world? Is Mort unstoppable? Will you guys disappear? Is it really that bad?"

"It's in French," Paul replied dryly. Vi blanched and leant on the doorframe for support.

"You aren't very good at French, are you?" Dawn said to Paul.

"No," Paul replied, "I hate it. I could never understand all the masculine and feminine stuff."

"We'll have to translate it," Dawn told Paul, "It's never easy, is it? First we have to find a book, then we have to sneak into the graveyard to get an envelope and then the letter inside it is in French! What is this? A scavenger hunt or something?"

"Calm down," Paul said, remarkably calm, "We'll work it out."

"It worries me that this is all so hard to find," Dawn went on, her voice bordering on hysteria, "If the person took such lengths to hide it then it must be a very bad thing that would take a genius to put together. That means Mort must be really, really, really, really, really-"

"Too many reallys, Dawn," Paul interrupted her.

"Really, really evil," Dawn went on, ignoring him. She let out a couple of short breaths like she was hyperventilating or something. When she had recovered she turned to look at Paul.

"Feel better for that?" he asked.

"A little, yes," she replied.

"Good," Paul said, "Let's head to the library."

Leaf eyed the library wall carefully for a few seconds before she threw herself through it. She stumbled and fell forwards right through the library floor. With a yelp she disappeared into the dinning room beneath. Paul looked up from his book while May, Drew and Dawn looked over their shoulders to see what had happened. With a sigh and a shake of his head, Paul ordered Drew to go and find Leaf before she fell too far.

"How about this?" May asked, holding up an old French dictionary. She carried it down to Paul ad carefully laid it out in front of him.

"This is perfect," Paul replied. He leant forwards and began to flick through the book, quickly scribbling words down. May drifted back towards Dawn. The two of them smiled at each other, happy that they were getting somewhere.

Boredom settled in twenty minutes later as Leaf lazily floated round the room. Currently she was hanging upside down with her arms crossed and an annoyed expression on her face. She glanced over at Drew who was walking along the ceiling with his arms to the side. Dawn was cleaning the bookcase with a feather duster she had picked up from some cabinet.

"How's it coming, Paul?" May asked. Paul didn't answer. He continued to work like he had been. Suddenly he let out a frustrated growl and launched the book across the room. May shrieked as it landed in her right hip and fell lamely to the floor. "HEY!"

"This is getting ridiculous," Paul snapped, jumping to his feet, "I quit!"

"What's wrong?" Leaf asked serenely, having found herself the right way up. Dawn flew over to the table where Paul had been working and read what he had translated.

_All the answers you seek and more will be found in Berstein's Volume Four of Local History._

"Oh," Dawn said brightly, "I saw that two seconds ago. I just cleaned it."

She zoomed back to the bookshelf and began searching for the title in question.

"I hate to point out, Dawn," Drew said, "But we don't have a very good sense of time. Two seconds could have been fifty years ago."

"Here," Dawn said, holding up a big thick book. She held it oddly in her hands as if something was wrong about it. "How odd."

"Bring it down," Paul said.

"But it's heavier than a normal book," Dawn told them.

"Some books are thicker so they're heavier," Drew replied.

"Maybe it's got heavy paper," May suggested.

"That's not it," Dawn said, "It feels odd."

She placed it on the table and turned to Paul to see what he made of the book. It was a very old black fabric covered book with fading gold lettering. Nothing really stood out as odd so far so Paul casually opened the front page. He skipped the introduction and went to turn onto the next page when he found a problem.

"There's no pages here," he told everyone, "There appears to be pages but there aren't any."

"It's a book box!" Leaf yelled happily from the ceiling, "I love those."

"May, help her out," Paul told May. May nodded and went to rescue Leaf from above them.

"How do we open it?" Dawn asked.

"If it needs a key, I'll scream," Drew replied, folding his arms. Paul studied the book for a few seconds before running his fingers round the sides of it. With his eyes closed, he felt every edge a few times until he pressed something in and the box fell apart.

"Whoa," Drew gasped, impressed at Paul's know how. Paul flashed Drew a triumphant smirk and opened the box to see what was inside.

"What is it?" May asked slowly as the others peered in.

"It's that thing Rusty was talking about," Leaf said quickly, "The thing the guy used to bring back his dead brother."

"Nice," Drew said, "We're one up on Mort."

"That's a relief," May agreed, holding a hand over her chest. Paul gently reached into the box and picked up the strange gold object. He twisted it round in his hands, staring at it like he was absorbing every little detail. It looked like globe on a rectangle podium with small glass orbs sunk into the gold at various places and various sizes.

"So this can make people come back to life?" Drew asked.

"But Mort made us come back to life for a while," May said, "So what if he has something like this?"

"A prototype," Paul replied, "This one is different to that one. Notice the glass orbs and the gold. This one is the real deal."

"That's so pretty," Leaf said.

"What shall we do with it?" Dawn asked, "We need to keep it away from Mort."

"I'll get Harold to take it away from this house," Paul told them, "It's far too valuable to be destroyed."

He placed it carefully in its box and closed it up. He picked the box up and handed it to Drew. Drew was a little surprised to be given the box, after all he wasn't the most reliable of the ghosts.

"Hide it somewhere," Paul told him, "You are the best hider."

"Right," Drew grinned and zoomed off before anyone else could say anything. Paul was about to say something to the others when Misty burst through the door. Everyone looked at her in confusion, half wondering what was wrong, half wondering where she had been. Her features were shocked and wide while her figure was trembling.

"Paul… It's Mort… He's back," she told them. She gulped loudly. "And he's got Vi."

**So I'm nearing the end of this story T_T But there's still a while to go yet so don't worry! **

**Also, time's running out to write for my contest! **

**RSx**


	45. The Gain before the Loss

**Hello everyone! I know it's been too long since I've updated this but here's a super long chapter for you all! I hope you all had a very nice Christmas :)**

**Thanks to splitheart1120, CamiKlaus24-7, ninetailsgirl94 and Etoile of the twilight for reviewing!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **

**Warning: Character death. Sorry XD**

**Chapter Forty-Five: The Gain before the Loss**

"What can we do?" Misty snapped at Paul as all the ghosts rushed through the house, "He's going to kill her, Paul, I know it."

"Did he say if he wanted anything? Like a ransom or something?" Paul asked Misty calmly.

"No," Misty replied.

"I wonder what he wants," Dawn said more to herself than anyone around her.

"Whatever it is, we're going to whack him one," Drew said angrily. He punched his fist into his palm to prove the point he was making. May and Leaf nodded in agreement.

"He can't hurt Vi, I won't let him," Leaf told everyone.

"Just focus on staying the right way up," Paul replied with a smirk. Leaf glared at him before sticking her tongue out at him in a childish manner. "We need a plan. Dawn, you're with me."

"Hey! Just because you care about me doesn't mean that you can make me stay behi- Wait, what did you say?" Dawn exclaimed. She raised a finger to her lips in confusion. Paul turned to look at her.

"We're stronger together," Paul told her, "Drew you're with Misty. May look after Leaf."

"Erm… Alright," May said slowly.

"But I want to help!" Leaf barked, "Vi's my friend."

"Why do you suppose I want you at the back?" Paul asked calmly, "When you see an opportunity you get Vi out of there and make sure you protect the other three. The rest of us will take on Mort. Drew, I need you to make sure Rusty doesn't do anything stupid."

"Edmund," Leaf corrected Paul.

"Rusty," Paul told her, "He's a dog."

"He's a talking dog who used to be a human," Leaf argued.

"Really, you want to have this argument now?" Paul asked, raising an eyebrow. Leaf fell silent, glowering at Paul. She didn't say anything else so Paul turned to the others. "Let's go. And be careful. We have no idea what Mort is up to."

"Come on, Leaf," May said to Leaf as the pair turned to fly through the floor boards. Leaf paused for a second, looking at Paul with worry. He nodded at her and she disappeared after May. Drew and Misty zoomed up through the ceiling so they could attack Mort from above. Paul turned to Dawn.

"Ready?" he asked.

"What's up with Leaf?" Dawn asked.

"Nothing," Paul replied, "She's just worried. Now we'd better go."

"Right," Dawn agreed. She caught up to Paul and grabbed his hand in hers. The glanced at each other but then hurried along the corridor until they reached where they sensed Mort was.

The ballroom was empty apart from Mort, who was stood in the centre of the room with his arms crossed, and Vi who was floating in mid air. It appeared she was bound by some invisible ropes because she was struggling against something. Her legs were together and her arms snapped in close to her body.

"Well, I am disappointed Paul," Mort said maliciously, "I did expect you to be here sooner."

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Paul replied politely, "But I was in the middle of something."

Paul let go of Dawn's hand slowly. She glanced at him but remained silent.

"I would have thought that with your… great niece - is it? – you would have been here sooner," Mort continued, "It's not like you to dawdle."

"Well, this is the second time you've attacked the family," Dawn said with a lofty overtone, "You can't expect us to come rushing in every time you do that."

"That's true," Paul agreed, "It's a little old, Mort."

"HMMM!" Vi yelled from above them. It appeared she was gagged too.

"A little old?" Mort repeated, "Of course you would think that. You don't seem to appreciate the classics."

"I do," Dawn snapped, "For your information, I love Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre and Dickens."

"Huh?" Mort asked, suddenly confused, "I meant classic evil techniques, dear."

"Oh," Dawn said, "Well you should be a bit more clear in the future."

"I'll bear that in mind," Mort sighed. He rubbed his head like he was suddenly very tired. "Typical, even in the afterlife I'm still surrounded by idiots."

"Ditto," Dawn agreed with a nod. Paul smirked at his partner's comment, ignoring it for the moment. If anyone could get people to talk it was Dawn and right now he needed someone to distract Mort while he tried to help Vi escape. While Dawn pointed out the bad habits of Drew and May, Paul focused on Vi's constraints. Her eyes widened in shock when she felt them loosening on her.

She looked around to see Paul staring at her in a concentrated way. He was helping her escape.

"Well that's all well and good but, you could've picked someone a bit better than him to be a ghost," Dawn said to Mort, "You can't complain about idiots if you're the one who brought them here."

"Paul," Mort snapped, his cold eyes turning onto Paul suddenly, "What are you doing?"

Mort looked from Paul then turned round to see where Vi was. Dawn took this opportunity to blast Mort with a gust of wind, sending him across the room. As he collided with the wall, his hold over Vi slipped and she fell from her invisible constraints. She screamed as she hurtled towards the floor but only for a second as May and Leaf swooped in to catch her.

Mort roared as he pulled away from the wall Dawn had sent him crashing into. He fired a strong attack at her. Both her and Paul tried to block it with their powers but they were blasted backwards, landing on the floor a few metres away.

"Ow," Dawn moaned as she found herself laying on her stomach. Paul had his arm round her body but he was also on his front.

"He's powerful," he muttered, "More powerful than we are."

"No kidding," Dawn replied, "How do we stop him?"

"I have no idea," Paul admitted, "Come on."

He climbed to his feet and helped Dawn to hers. They looked up at Mort as he glided over to them.

"Such pathetic little rats," Mort spat, "Always getting in my way. I should kill you both."

"You did," Dawn said, "Remember?"

Mort paused for a second, the realisation of this hitting him. Paul raised his hands up quickly, sending a blade of air towards Mort. It hit Mort painfully in the chest and he flew across the room again.

"Nice," Paul commented to Dawn as she stood frozen on her spot. She turned to Paul in amazement but he wasn't admiring his handy work, he was smirking at her. "I'm impressed by the comeback."

"Thank you," Dawn giggled, "He's such a moron."

"Like Drew," Paul agreed.

"Hey! I heard that!" Drew's voice snapped from the ceiling. Paul and Dawn looked up to see Misty, Drew and Rusty floating near the chandelier.

"Don't just hang around there," Paul snapped, "Are you going to give us a hand?"

"You seem to be doing fine on your own," Drew told them.

"Rusty?" Paul asked. The dog seemed to ponder his options for a few seconds, deciding on attacking Mort. He barked loudly and bounded towards Mort.

Mort was still recovering from Paul's last attack. He pulled himself off the floor, looking at his left arm. A large bloody gash had appeared on his transparent skin. This was not good for him. He barely had time to react when Rusty began to maul his ankle.

"That's it!" Mort yelled, kicking Rusty away from him. The dog yelped as he landed on the floor. "I'm fed up of that stupid mutt!"

Mort sent a cloud of green mist over Rusty. Rusty yelped a few times before collapsing onto the floor with his eyes closed.

"Rusty!" Misty yelled. She raced to the floor to see if she could help him but the moment she touched him he began to change. It was weird like watching something dissolve into water. Rusty's body fizzed and expanded, his limbs getting longer and hairless. In no time at all the dog had turned into a human, a man.

"Whoa," Drew commented, "That's something you don't see every day."

"Drew!" Dawn yelled. It was too late. An attack from Mort knocked Drew out of the air. Drew fell from the chandelier onto the ballroom floor with a thud. Mort turned his gaze onto Dawn, rushing towards her with his arm raised menacingly.

Dawn braced herself for impact but she never felt it. There was a roar of pain in front of her. She opened her eyes to see Paul was protecting her from Mort's attack. She screamed when she saw what Mort had done to him. Through Paul's chest was a thick blade. Mort pulled the blade from Paul and stepped back. The weapon was Mort's hand transformed into a blade Dawn noted shakily. Paul fell onto his knees, clutching his chest tightly.

"Just because you are dead," Mort told Paul as he turned his hand back to its normal shape, "Doesn't mean I can't hurt you."

"Paul?" Dawn said, sinking to her knees beside him. Paul fell onto her so she put her arms round him. "Paul? Paul? Are you alright? Paul? Paul!"

Tears appeared in her eyes as she became more and more hysterical. Paul went limp as he slipped out of consciousness.

"Paul!" Dawn yelled. She shook him gently in her arms, trying to wake him up. He didn't stir.

"Well, that settles that," Mort said, dusting his hands off, "As you can see, I am the strongest ghost in this house. Nothing can stop me."

He stopped gloating as he felt a strange pressure build in the room. Misty, who was still knelt by the human Rusty, gasped and bent over Rusty to protect him from the pressure. Mort's eyes darted round the room to see where the pressure was coming from. They settled on Dawn. She gently placed Paul on the floor and stood up. Mort took a step backwards as she started towards him.

"If you ever hurt my friends again," she snapped, "I will make sure your afterlife is hell."

"Really?" Mort asked, "A little girl like you?"

"No," Dawn replied, "A servant girl, like me."

Dawn released the pressure that had been building, sending Mort flying into the opposite wall with a satisfying crunch. Dawn glared at him then turned so she could go back to Paul.

Paul's eyes opened slowly and he coughed.

"Ow," he moaned, trying his best to sit up. Dawn rushed to his side, hugging his neck tightly.

"You're alright," she said.

"Dawn… ow," Paul gasped, "You're hurting me."

"I don't care," Dawn cried, "You're alright."

Before Paul could respond, the door to the ballroom flew open. Ash and Gary along with Vi, May and Leaf ran into the room looking round at all the mess. There were craters in the walls and floor were ghosts had collided with them. May's eyes widened as she saw Drew lying on the floor in on of the small craters.

"Drew!" she yelled and ran over to check on him. She fell onto her knees next to him, stroking his hair softly before hugging him awkwardly.

Leaf looked over at Paul and Dawn who were struggling with each other. Paul managed to pull his partner off of him, with some difficulty, and was now sat oddly on the floor. He raised his hands to his chest where Mort had attacked him.

"Oh my…" Vi trailed off as she saw the wound in Paul's chest. Leaf looked over to him, gasping in shock. "Paul?"

"Paul!" Leaf copied. The girls ran over to him to make sure he was alright.

"What's gone off here?" Ask muttered, "It looks like a war zone."

"Who's that with Misty?" Gary asked, pointing at the red haired girl. Rusty was coming too now. Misty leant back so he could scramble into a seating position.

"Ow," Rusty said, rubbing his nose with his hand, "What happened? Where's Mort?"

"Good question," Misty replied as she looked round for the other ghost. He seemed to have disappeared after that last attack.

"WAH!" Rusty yelped. He jumped to his feet and stumbled around. "I'm… I'm… human!"

"Calm down," Misty told him as she rushed to grab him before he fell over.

"This is so weird!" Rusty yelled, staring down at his fingers. He ran his hands up and down his arms, then his body then up into his hair. "I'm me again. I'm actually human again."

"It would appear so," Misty said dumbstruck. Truth be told, the man standing in front of her was a very handsome looking man. He was tall, young looking with brown hair up in a pony tail. He was wearing a white shirt with brown braces over his shoulders holding up his grey breeches. He had knee length brown boots on his feet.

"OK," Ash commented as he jogged over to Misty and Rusty, "Who's this?"

"It's Rusty," Misty replied, "Mort turned him back into a man."

"Wow," Ash said, "That's weird."

"I'm human!" Rusty yelled, throwing his arms into the air, "This is amazing! Remarkable! And… very strange."

Misty giggled at him as he stared at his hands in wonder once again.

"Edmund," Leaf said as she rushed over to the group, "You're Edmund again."

"Hmm?" Rusty said, "Oh yeah. That's my name isn't it? Edmund. It's going to be weird not being called Rusty again."

He laughed heartily at this as the others joined in.

Across the room, Paul sighed. He got to his feet, still clutching his chest in pain. Dawn supported him as they floated across the room to the group gathered around Edmund. Vi followed with a serene look on her face.

"Geez Paul," Edmund said when he saw Paul, "You look like hell."

"Thanks," Paul said dryly, "I feel like it too."

"What happened?" Leaf asked.

"Mort stabbed me," Paul replied, "It seems that the powers he was using to keep Rusty-"

"Edmund," Leaf and Misty corrected him.

"A dog have returned to him," Paul went on, "And he's a lot more powerful now."

"Not as powerful as Dawn, though," Misty said, "She took him out."

"Um…" Dawn said as everyone turned to stare at her, "I thought he'd killed Paul. I was mad and upset."

"I'm fine," Paul assured her, "It just hurts to be dead. Ow."

"Hey, what's going on?"

Now everyone turned to look at Drew as he was half dragged across to the group by May. He was rubbing his head in a pained way.

"Hey, Rusty, you're human," Drew said, winking at Edmund.

"You're not surprised?" Edmund asked.

"Not yet," Drew replied, "There's too much pounding in my head to think straight. When I recover, you'll be the first to know."

"Thanks," Edmund laughed.

"So everyone's alright?" Gary asked, stepping towards the group, "No one's dying or anything?"

"No, everyone appears to be fine," Vi replied happily, "Mort didn't win today!"

"No way," Ash said, "Mort can't stand up to us. Not when we've got all these ghosts dead and kicking."

Everyone, apart from Paul, laughed at Ash. Edmund looked round at all the teens, smiling happily as he saw their happy faces, apart from Paul who was still in a lot of pain. Edmund was about to say something to Paul when something else caught his eye.

Another purple haired person was stood a little way away from the group with a thick blade for a hand. Mort smiled one of his twisted smiles then pointed his arm out at the group. Edmund was about to yell for everyone to get out of the way but he found he was frozen on the spot, he mouth unable to move. Mort's arm grew longer, racing towards Vi.

Paul turned round, holding up his hand to block the attack but nothing happened. He was too weak to use his powers. Vi twirled round as she heard May yell. Dawn scrambled to try and protect Vi with her powers but it was too late. Ash and Vi were splattered with blood. They froze.

"Murderer!" Misty yelled. May and Drew flew up into the air alongside Misty and charged at Mort. Mort grinned at them and disappeared into thin air.

"Where did he-?" Drew asked angrily.

"Gary," Ash managed to say finally after staring at his friend for a few painful seconds. Gary was stood in front of Vi with his arms out by his side like he was protecting her. Slowly he fell to his knees then onto his face.

"Gary?" Vi asked, "Gary?"

"Gary?" Ash snapped, throwing himself to his knees to shake Gary. There was the sound of footsteps from the hallway.

Harold ran into the room, followed shortly by Delia.

"What's going on?" Harold barked. His eyes were immediately on Vi and Ash who were crowded over Gary. Vi was crying loudly. Next Harold's eyes went to Paul who was still holding his chest in agony.

"Gary?" Delia shrieked, "Oh my god, that's blood. Harold, we need an ambulance, Harold. Get the phone!"

"Right," Harold said sprinting off down the corridor.

"Tell them to hurry!" Delia yelled.

"Delia? Is he…" Vi asked as Delia ran over to them. She turned Gary onto his back and tried to keep his heart going.

"Harold! Hurry!" she yelled through to her husband.

Not five minutes later did the paramedics arrive. They quickly checked on Gary and put him onto the stretcher. They didn't look so hopeful but they carried his body into the ambulance with the family following their every move.

The ghosts remained in the ballroom, each in shock over what had just happened.

"You were right," Drew told Paul.

"Yeah," Paul barked back. With a large kick off, Paul flew out of the room. Dawn bit her lip but didn't dare follow him. She knew he wanted to be alone for now.

"So where is he?" May asked, "If he's supposed to be a ghost then he should be here."

"Let's go and follow the ambulance," Misty said, "Maybe he's not gone yet. He will need help getting back here."

"Right," May agreed. They left with Leaf, leaving Dawn behind with Edmund. Dawn was still biting her lip.

"Don't blame yourselves," Edmund told her, "You tried."

"Just like with Leaf," Dawn muttered, "We tried then too."

"I've lived through all of you dying," Edmund said, "It never gets easy."

"No, it doesn't," Dawn agreed, "Paul won't take this very well."

"Why do you say that?" Edmund asked, looking down at Dawn as he waited for her answer.

"Because Paul is very fond of Gary, even if he never acts like it," Dawn replied, "And now Gary is going to die."

"Dead," came a voice behind them.

"Sorry," Dawn muttered. She turned on her heel and ran into Gary, wrapping her arms round Gary's neck. Gary grabbed her oddly, hugging her back. Edmund turned to look at them. "I'm so sorry, Gary! I really am!"

"It's not you fault," Gary told her, "Hush."

"I'm so sorry!" Dawn wailed. Edmund regarded the two ghosts for a moment, then looked away. He surveyed the ballroom glaring round at the four walls.

"What's your next move then," Edmund muttered, "Mort?"

**OK, so now we have all the players we need as ghosts XD Yay! What will Gary's death bring? And what is Mort planning to do next?**

**Don't forget, only a few days left until my contest ends! PM when you've got yours uploaded!**

**Please review!**

**RSx**


	46. The Pieces of the Game

**Howdy all :) Since I haven't been able to write Akari this week (the ninjas will not wake up at all) I thought I'd publish this instead. Hope it's a good substitute. **

**Thanks for everyone who reviewed the last chapter. I hope everyone has a great new year! **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Chapter Forty-Six: The Pieces of the Game**

Everyone stayed away from Paul for the following week or so, even Dawn. Not only was Paul quite angry about Gary's death, he was still in a lot of pain from his injury. He had taken to walking outside rather than staying in the house which was a relief to the other ghosts because it meant they could relax in the safety of the manor.

Dawn stared out of the conservatory window, watching Paul pace around the garden like a mad man. She had become a little depressed since Paul had taken himself away from the others. She was sat on one of the chairs, leaning on the windowsill with her arms folded on the wood. Her chin rested on her arms.

"I wouldn't go out there if I were you," Misty said from out of the blue, "It looks like he's still spitting feathers."

"Paul doesn't spit feathers," May replied, "He just festers in the corner until he lets it all out."

"Come on, Dawn," Leaf added, "He'll be alright."

Dawn let out a sigh as she sat up. She turned to look at the three girls, each smiling at her worriedly. Leaf was floating near the glass roof of the conservatory while the others were stood in the doorway.

"Is it me or does it feel like we're falling apart?" Dawn muttered, "It wasn't like this after Leaf died. Everything seems to have darkened."

"I heard from Ash," Misty said slowly, "That they're moving out."

"The family is moving?" Dawn asked, her eyes widening in surprise. Misty nodded solemnly. "I don't blame them. After all that's happened maybe it is for the best."

"Maybe," Leaf said, "People are meant to move on, I suppose, but… I don't want them to go."

"Neither do we, sweetie," Misty said, looking up at Leaf with a motherly smile, "But if it's what they want to do, it's the only way."

Leaf floated down onto the floor beside Misty and gave her a hug. May decided to join in on the hug, putting her arms round Leaf and Misty tightly. Leaf looked very upset at this point and Dawn could understand why. Her two best friends were leaving her.

Edmund phased through the glass and wood door suddenly while the girls continued to hug each other. He smiled at them but decided not to bother them. Instead he walked over to the window to watch Paul pace up and down outside. Dawn watched Edmund with some wonder.

"He's still out there?" Edmund asked.

"Yeah," Dawn replied, "He won't come in. If he sees anyone come out of the house he goes further into the garden. I think he wants to be left alone."

"Now isn't the time for him to leave us alone," Edmund said, "At times like this we need a leader and he is ours. Whether he likes it or not."

"He understands that," Dawn told Edmund, her voice rising slightly in volume so that the girls by the door could hear her. Dawn shot Edmund a glare before returning her gaze out of the window. "It's terribly crowded in there."

"Too many ghosts?" Edmund asked.

"No," Dawn replied, "In his head. There's just too much in there at the minute. With Mort, the guilt of Gary and Leaf he'll carry for a long time and now with the family moving out… He misses his sister too."

"That is a lot to handle," Misty agreed. The girls had broken from their hug. Misty floated over to the window, standing beside Edmund as she blinked at the glass.

"He can't blame himself for me," Leaf said softly, "Or Gary. He didn't kill us."

"Edmund?" Dawn asked, turning her head to the ghost on her right.

"Yes," he replied with a nod.

"Please gather everyone in the ballroom," Dawn said, "Just the ghosts."

"Alright," Edmund agreed with another nod. He looked down at Misty then back at Dawn. Dawn was up on her feet. She took three steps through the window of the conservatory and floated down the garden towards Paul.

Paul was sat in the old gazebo where the ivy plant had run wild. It was oddly beautiful the way the leaves twisted round the thin metal wire of the structure. Paul remembered fondly how he would sit in the gazebo when he was younger on hot summer days while he read books. Maids would occasionally come to check on him, bringing him snacks and drinks quietly. Today he had no books. He was sat on the old decaying bench with his elbows on his knees, his finger tightly laced together as he thought about the events of the last fortnight.

"Paul," Dawn said when she found him. Her voice was soft but had a hidden tone of impatience.

"It's alright," he told her, "Come in."

"I was going to anyway," she replied as she brushed through the ivy and knelt a few feet in front of him. She looked up into his eyes, waiting.

"What's wrong?" he asked, "Has something happened?"

"No," Dawn replied, "I just wanted to see you."

Paul let out a shallow sigh, casting his eyes away from Dawn. Dawn craned forwards slightly, awaiting him to say something. Anything would do but he remained silent for a painfully long pause.

"Do you remember," Dawn said suddenly, "When I was first brought here?"

"Yes," Paul said with a nod.

"And my hair was cut short because of the lice?" Dawn went on, "And you thought it was so funny how I had to wear that stupid hat to hide my hair from your mother? You used to make so much fun of me and I had to take it until one day when I took the hat off and my hair was fully grown. Then you stopped picking on me, you treated me normally like every other maid."

"There was nothing I could pick on you for," Paul told her with a small grin playing with his lips.

"But I missed it," Dawn admitted, "I hated it when you made fun of me but when I was just one of the normal maids to you… It hurt. Sometimes I wondered if I should get the hat and wear it just so you could notice me but the stewardess burnt it. I resigned myself to the fact I was just a maid of the house, nothing extraordinary about me."

"Where are you going with this, Dawn?" Paul asked, rubbing his eyes with his leaf thumb and forefinger.

"I missed you while you've been out here, Paul," Dawn said, "We all have. Please come back inside."

Paul looked up at her with only one eye open.

"I never asked to be leader," he told her.

"I know but that's why we know you'll do your very best," Dawn replied with a small but honest smile, "And you won't give up."

"I won't give up," Paul repeated, "I'm too stubborn to let anyone win."

"You're too protective to let someone push your friends around," Dawn said.

"I'm not a leader," Paul told her as he stood up, "I don't want to be one at this moment in time, Dawn. I just want to breathe and step back to look at my mistakes and how to correct them."

"That's why you've been out here all week? You've been stepping backwards?" Dawn asked.

"Sometimes to get the full picture you need to stand back and tilt your head to the side," Paul replied. He held out his hand to help her to her feet. She took it and was pulled up into his arms. She hugged him tightly, her arms around his body. He held her lovingly for a few seconds until he gently pushed her away from him. "I think I know what to do now. I think I know what Mort wants and how we can defeat him. There's only one problem with it though."

"What's that?" Dawn asked.

"We need Ash and Vi's help," Paul stated, "They can't leave just yet."

The ghosts looked pensive as Paul explained what he had planned. Paul noted their worried expressions as he stood in front of them. May glanced round the circle to see what the other people were feeling. Gary was stood with his arms folded over his chest. Leaf was floating above them in a thinking pose. Misty and Drew were stood next to each other, staring at the other as if they were in the middle of a silent conversation. Edmund was the only one who looked impressed by the suggestion.

"I'm in," he said brightly, "You have thought this through, Paul."

"Taking a step back does help," Paul agreed.

"So we make Ash and Vi stay?" Gary asked, "That's going to be hard if we want Harold and Delia out of the way."

"Luckily Reggie's away," Leaf said, "So we don't have him to worry about."

"Delia's not going to leave her children after I just died," Gary told the others.

"I've already thought about that," Paul grinned, "Well, the grown ups have to go out of the house sometime."

"You're going to lock them out?" May squeaked. Paul shook his head.

"Kidnap?" Drew suggested. Again Paul shook his head. Dawn eyed her partner wearily for a second. He was grinning a little too evilly for her comfort but she decided his plan must be a good one if it was causing him that sort of expression.

"I'm in," Dawn sighed.

"Me too," Drew said, "After all… I have nothing else to do."

"Count me in too, then," Misty said, "I can't leave my partner now, can I?"

"Leaf? Gary? May?" Paul asked, looking over at the remaining three ghosts. Leaf landed on the floor beside Gary, still thinking about what she should do. They looked at each other, communicating like Drew and Misty had briefly.

"I'm in," Gary replied.

"Yeah, we have to stop Mort," Leaf agreed with a nod of her head. Now everyone turned to look at May.

"Of course I'm in," May snapped, "This is my home and you're my friends. I can't let some whacko push us around, can I?"

"Thank you, May," Paul said.

"So, how do we begin?" Edmund asked, "Going into a fight head on is not a good idea."

"Have any of you played chess before?" Paul asked suddenly off topic.

"Dude… I was a servant," Drew replied dryly.

"Gypsy," Misty added.

"I was poor," May said.

"Another servant," Dawn held up her hand.

"Nope, not me," Edmund replied honestly, "Just a nice old servant, I was."

"I've played checkers before, does that count?" Leaf asked. Paul turned to Gary who was staring at the others with wide eyes, like he couldn't believe it. Gary looked at Paul and nodded to show he had, in fact, played chess before.

"Well, we're going to have a game of chess with Mort," Paul explained, "And all of you have a role to play. If you get knocked down then you'll be out of the game."

"So now we're playing games with Mort?" Gary asked. He laughed loudly earning him weird looks from the others. "If you weren't already dead, I'd say you had a death wish."

"Yeah, I can see that," Paul grinned, "Now Gary and Leaf, I need you two to stay out of the way, go somewhere, keep away from anyone else and chatter to your heart's content. Misty, Edmund, keep an eye on the house. I want to know the moment Mort shows up. Drew, May? I need your help in preparing the playing field. And Dawn."

"Yes, Paul," Dawn said.

"Making it as difficult as you can for the family to leave," Paul told her with another grin. Dawn blinked a few times before she nodded. "Are we all ready?"

"Let's do it," Drew said.

**Everything's in motion now XD I can't wait.**

**Right, a quick reminder that you have got until midnight tomorrow to enter my competition! If you're writing something then tell me as soon as you can!**

**Also, have a nice time bringing in 2012 where ever you may be :) **

**Please review!**

**RSx**


	47. The Grave

**Well, erm… Sorry for the long wait on this but with revision and exams I've had no time to write stuff. However you will be glad to know that I've got the next few updates sorted. Unfortunately there's only three more after this. **

**Yes, I have officially finished writing Harmony of White Roses. Just to let you know. Then again I could change my mind because I may re-read what I've just finished writing and think it is a little rushed. Anyway. Here you are: Chapter Forty-Seven.**

**Thanks to lightwolfheart, xPinkSunshinex, splitheart1120, ninetailsgirl94, CamiKlaus24-7 and Horselover for reviewing!**

**I own nothing but Edmund, Mort, Vi and the plot. Oh and also Harold.**

**Chapter Forty-Seven: The Grave**

Ash yelled loudly as he walked into the room for the third time to find all his clothes back in his wardrobe and all his stuff where they belonged. He growled as he pulled out the flat back boxes from underneath his bed and put them up.

"I'm fed up of this," Ash snapped, "Paul, stop messing around."

"Ash?" Vi said as she walked into his room. She seemed just as annoyed as he was. "All my stuff is back in its place again. Why does it keep doing that?"

"I have no idea," Ash moaned, starting to re-pack everything into the boxes. Vi stared at him oddly as her mind wondered to the ghosts of the house. Since Gary died they had stayed as far away from the two living teens, acting rather guilty. It made Vi wonder if Gary had become a ghost or merely died.

"Perhaps we should talk to them," Vi muttered, "I mean there must be a reason why they're doing this to us."

"Hmm?" Ash said not really paying attention to his step-sister.

"I think they want us to stay," Vi stated quietly. She jumped a mile as Ash slammed his fist down on his desk. The metal shelf rang for a few seconds with the force of the punch. When the room fell silent Ash growled.

"No, we're going," he snapped, "We can't stay here. Don't you realise that since we've been here both Leaf and Gary have died? They left this house alone for a reason and it should be left alone again. Hell, I'm even considering having it burnt down."

"Ash, no," Vi cried, "We have no idea what would happen if this house was destroyed."

"Who cares?" Ash yelled, "They killed two of my friends, Vi! Leaf was like a sister to me and Gary… He didn't deserve to die. Neither of them did!"

"Ash," Vi said. She tired to put a comforting hand on her step-brother's shoulder but he shrugged it off.

"Just hurry and pack," he told her, "The sooner we've packed the sooner we'll get out of this place."

Vi pulled away from him and rushed from the room, her eyes threatening to spill hot tears down her cheeks. She burst into her room, flinging herself on her bed and collapsing into a fit of sobs. As she lay there weeping into her pillow she felt a cold hand brush through her hair. Slowly she looked up to see Dawn perched on her bed.

"Dawn?" Vi asked.

"It's alright," Dawn replied with a smile on her face, "Boys will always deal with things differently."

"I don't want to go, Dawn," Vi wailed, "I want to stay."

"Paul told me to tell you something," Dawn said, "We're going to rise against Mort."

"That's suicide," Vi sniffed, wiping her eyes with her hand. Dawn nodded slowly but her smile never wavered from her lips. "… You need our help don't you?"

"Yes," Dawn admitted, "Just you and Ash."

"What do you need?" Vi asked.

"For you to stay a little while longer," Dawn requested, "Not too long."

"I'll see what I can do."

Misty zipped through the dinning room quickly as she went about her usual route to make sure the house was alright. There was no sign of Mort anywhere. She almost collided with Edmund as she turned a corner but she managed to stop herself before she could do any damage.

"Anything?" she asked Edmund. He shook his head. "If only we could find out where he hides all the time."

"We've checked out every nook and cranny in this house," Edmund agreed with a sigh, "I don't know where he has gone."

"How many hidden rooms are there in this house anyway?" Misty asked. She did a spin in the air followed by a somersault while Edmund thought about the question for a few seconds.

"I think there are only two," Edmund replied, "One we found last year, underneath the house, right? I noticed when I used to work here that there was another hidden room but I never found where to get in it."

"Maybe that's where he's hiding," Misty muttered, "Should we go to investigate?"

"Let me show you," Edmund agreed. He grabbed Misty's hand and guided her towards one of the bedrooms where the family used to sleep during his time serving at the manor. Misty looked at her hand entwined in his and frowned.

"It is strange that out of the eight of us, we're the only two who don't seem to have someone we're crazy about?" Misty asked. Edmund glanced at her.

"I thought you liked Ash," he said.

"I did but I'm not crazy about him," Misty explained, "But you look at Paul and Dawn and they're in love with each other. Drew's crazy about May, May's sweet on Drew and Gary and Leaf like each other even if they won't admit it."

"When you put it like that, we sound like a couple of losers," Edmund laughed. Misty let out a sigh and tugged her hand free of Edmund's grasp.

"See what I mean?" she said. Edmund nodded a few times, but his smile never left his face.

"You know when I was alive," Edmund said slowly, "I often wondered who I would get married to. Girls tended to avoid me, you know, said I was a little odd."

"That's strange," Misty said, "I never thought you were odd. Sure you were a dog for most of the time I've known you, but you've never been odd."

"Thanks," Edmund chuckled, "It wasn't until after I died and I used to hear Humphrey weeping. The maids used to chatter about how much Humphrey missed me since we were lovers and all."

"What?" Misty yelped, "You and Humphrey were lovers?"

"I know, it surprised me too," Edmund said, smirking at her, "It was the first I'd ever heard of it."

"So you two weren't lovers?" Misty asked. Edmund shook his head firmly.

"I was honoured that he liked me like that," Edmund replied, "But thoroughly freaked out by it too. Back in my time, there were punishments for that sort of relationship. Even now when I think about it, I come out in Goosebumps and I have the urge to shudder."

"It's weird," Misty giggled, "I thought Drew was like that when I first met him. Especially when Paul joined us."

"Yeah?" Edmund asked, a wide smile replacing his smirk.

"You know he used to chase Paul all over the house," Misty muttered, "I thought for sure Drew had a crush."

"I never saw that," Edmund said, "I wish I had."

The two of them dissolved into hushed whispers as they talked about the relationships of their other ghostly friends. After a few outbursts of laughter someone finally came to investigate. Paul floated through the ceiling and landed not far behind them with his arms folded. He waited for them to noticed him but they were too busy whispering. Loudly, Paul cleared his throat.

Edmund and Misty twirled round, their hands behind their backs. They each bit their lips shut as they tried to hold back the urge to laugh.

"What are you two doing?" Paul asked, "I thought I told you to check the house for Mort."

"We are," Edmund replied in an oddly squeaky voice. He coughed slightly. "I mean, we are, Paul."

"Hmmm," Paul hummed, wondering what they were up to. He glanced behind him as he felt Dawn's presence come towards him.

"What's going on?" she asked, confused as Misty raised her hand to her mouth. Dawn turned to Paul for an explanation but as he opened his mouth to reply, Edmund and Misty burst into uncontrollable laughter. Dawn and Paul glanced at each other, each taking a step backwards, freaked out by the actions of their friends. "What are they laughing about?"

"No clue," Paul replied, "What did Vi say?"

"She'll try to hold them up for a while longer but we're running out of time," Dawn muttered.

"Right," Paul said. They turned to stare at Edmund and Misty who had seemed to have recovered from their outburst of laughter. Edmund rubbed his side as he addressed Paul.

"We were going to look into a hidden room," Edmund reported, "We've checked all over and Mort is not anywhere."

"But he could be hiding in this room Edmund thinks is hidden," Misty added.

"Right," Paul said slowly.

"Why were you two laughing?" Dawn asked. Edmund and Misty glanced at each other, each turning a shade of pink.

"Nothing important," they both said quickly, "We'll be off now."

"Strange," Paul commented as they rushed from the corridor into a room. Paul stroked his chin as he thought about the two ghosts.

"How is your end of the plan coming?" Dawn asked, "Is everything ready?"

"We just need a full moon," Paul told her, "Which will be in three nights."

"I need to get Ash and Vi on our side by then, do I?" Dawn sighed, "Vi is already on board but Ash is still mad at us."

"Understandable," Paul agreed, "He has lost two friends here."

"Three days," Dawn murmured, "Three days."

"You'll think of something," Paul said, "As for Misty and Edmund… I hope they find some clue to where Mort is."

"He does seem to appear and disappear when he wants to," Dawn muttered, "I wonder why we can't do that."

"I have no idea," Paul replied, "I'll ask Leaf to see what she thinks."

"Right," Dawn said, "I'll go back to watching the family."

"Take care," Paul warned, "I have no idea what Mort is planning."

"I'm always careful," Dawn said brightly, "And if there is anything I will tell you, OK?"

"Sure," Paul said. He floated up into the ceiling quickly. Dawn tapped her foot for a few seconds like she was waiting for something. Paul remerged a few seconds later. "What?"

Dawn giggled as she threw her arms round his neck and gave him a peck on the cheek. Paul flinched at the display of affection, letting himself sigh as he realised he was right under Dawn's thumb. He gave her a quick squeeze then pulled away from her.

"Just… be careful," he said in an exasperated way before disappearing once again. He arrived in the attic just seconds later, greeted by the confused faces of May, Drew, Leaf and Gary. Paul's temper flashed and he snapped: "What?"

"You came and then you went again," Drew said, "What was that all about?"

"Nothing," Paul replied, "Dawn wanted something."

"Awww," Gary remarked, making Leaf and May giggle, "Ickle Paulie is right under Dawnie's thumb."

Paul let out a sigh and strode over to Leaf.

"Leaf, you're an expert on ghost behaviour," Paul said, "How would Mort be able to appear and disappear like he does?"

"Erm…" Leaf thought aloud for a few seconds. She tapped her lip with her finger as she stared upwards in a thinking pose. Paul waited for a reply patiently, sending Gary a cold glare for his comment earlier. Gary merely smirked back at Paul, trying to convey the message 'you love it really' with great success for Paul rolled his eyes and focused his attention back on Leaf. "Well… There's only one thing I can think of."

"And that is?" Paul prompted.

"Well, my mother had a theory," Leaf explained, glancing round at the others, "That there are ghosts who can appear and disappear at will but she only saw it in buildings where the body of the ghost was found. Like people stuck in chimneys and such. Their ghost could come out of the chimney then disappear back there once the sun came up. But I don't know about Mort."

"Do you think he was buried in this house?" Drew asked Paul.

"Possibly," Paul replied, "It is possible that Humphrey could have hidden the body somewhere."

"Great," Gary snapped, "We've got a body of some dead guy in the house. What next?"

There was a loud piercing shriek that rattled through the entire house. Drew was instantly floating in the air. He looked from side to side then flew through the floor boards at a thirty degree angle. Paul turned to the others.

"Stay here," he told them then rushed to follow Drew through the floor boards. After going threw a few rooms and almost colliding with Dawn as she hurried to see what was wrong, Paul finally gave up.

"What's wrong? What's going on?" Dawn asked sounding scared and worried at the same time.

"Drew?" Paul barked. Edmund's head appeared out of a wall.

"Hey," Edmund said as if nothing had happened, "You might want to see this, Paul. Not so much you, Dawn."

"Hmph," Dawn snapped, "I want to see."

"Suit yourself," Edmund said as he disappeared back through the wall. Dawn grabbed Paul's hand and nodded at him. Paul led her through the wall into a small dark room. The first thing Paul noticed was that the room had very thick walls, twice the thickness as normal ones. Secondly, even to his ghostly senses, he could smell an awful stink.

"Ew," Dawn moaned, "This is rancid."

"It gets better," Drew said from next to a large wooden box. It looked like a normal box until Paul and Dawn got closer. It was an odd shape but long enough and wide enough to fit a person in it. Paul let go of Dawn's hand so he could lift the top off the box.

"Wait," Misty snapped, "Paul, do you know what that is?"

"I know perfectly well what it is, Misty," Paul replied uneasily. He sounded more disgusted than uneasy but Misty didn't care. She backed to the edge of the room, closing her eyes.

"I'm going to have nightmares for the rest of my death," she cried.

"We don't sleep," Edmund told her.

"You know what I mean," Misty snapped in reply. Paul rolled his eyes and pushed the lid of the box up. He was his by a gust of dusty, foul smelling air that would have made the best person regurgitate their breakfast. Paul scrunched up his nose and raised the lid higher until it slipped off the box and landed on the floor behind it. Paul's eyes washed over the contents of the box.

"Edmund?" Paul asked, "Come here."

Nervously Edmund took a few steps towards Paul and peered into the box. He gasped and stepped backwards.

"Is that?" Paul asked.

"Good grief," Edmund spluttered, "Bloody hell."

"Edmund?" Paul prompted.

"Oh I'm going to be sick," Edmund said, clutching his mouth with his hands. Misty and Drew hurried to steady him before he collapsed. Dawn drifted forwards so she could look into the box. Her confused expression never left her face even as she realised what she was looking at.

"That's Mort," she stated.

"Yeah," was all Paul found he could say.

**So it's boiling down to the end now. What are they planning to do? Well, you'll have to wait a little longer for the next chapters.**

**Please review!**

**RSx**


	48. The Fire

**Well, we're into the final stretch of this story now. I hope things will be good for you. I'll update the next chapter on Wednesday unless I've gone absolutely mental with this huge deadline I've got next Sunday. It's waay big and scary T_T**

**Thanks to Horselover, Etoile of the twilight, splitheart1120, lightwolfheart and RavenOn21turned23 for reviewing and to all of you others who read it. **

**Chapter Forty-Eight: The Fire**

"Eww," May and Leaf moaned as Dawn relayed the grizzly details to them, "Gross."

The girls looked across at Misty who still seemed to be in some state of shock at the findings in the hidden room. Although she was nowhere as bad as Edmund was, she was sat on the floor next to May, hugging her knees. Dawn let out a short sigh.

"You're telling me," Dawn said, "I'm surprised no one's found it. It stunk like nothing I've ever smelt before."

"The whole room was sealed off from the rest of the house," Paul told them, as he paced around the room. He paused to spare the girls a glance. "Those walls were thick."

"Yeah… but Paul," May said, glancing at Leaf and Dawn for support, "Wouldn't we have noticed something like this before?"

"I'm not sure," Drew replied before Paul could even think of an answer. He floated upside down in a lofty sort of way, his hands behind his head. "I mean, we could have flown through that room before but… Well… We never paid it any mind."

"That's true," Dawn agreed.

"Erg," Edmund moaned from over by the window. He was sat on the ledge with Gary trying to keep him upright. Even for a ghost, Edmund looked pale. He clutched his stomach like he was going to throw up any second.

"I have to hand it to you, Ed," Drew said, "You're taking this awfully badly."

"I would never have thought you'd be so squeamish," Paul mused, "After all you used to do pretty disgusting things as a ghost dog."

"Yeah, but I never uncovered a dead body as a ghost dog did I?" Edmund snapped, almost toppling off the window ledge in the process. Gary managed to steady him.

"Well" – Gary glanced at Paul – "What now?"

"I'm not sure," Paul admitted.

"If we get rid of the body…" Dawn trailed off. May and Leaf glanced at their friend, wondering what she was going to say next but she stopped talking for a few minutes.

"That could work," Paul agreed, staring across at Dawn as she nodded. Everyone was now watching the pair with confused expressions on their faces. Even Misty seemed to be brought back to reality by the strange goings on between Dawn and Paul.

"But that's the problem," Dawn stated. Paul let out a sigh. Suddenly Dawn began giggling. "That would work like a lead balloon. Look how Edmund reacted to it."

"Not that I'm complaining… Well, I am," Drew said, "But could you two either talk to each other silently or out loud. Don't mix them."

"Huh?" Dawn asked, "We were talking just then."

"Only parts of it," Leaf replied.

"That's weird," Gary commented, "You two weren't aware of it?"

"No," Dawn said. She let out a sigh. "How can we get rid of it? No one can get in there apart from us."

"Hmmm," Misty said aloud, "We can't just float it out of there. It's solid."

"And we can't find the key to the door," Drew added. An idea seemed to hit May suddenly. She sat up straight and turned to look at Paul.

"Can't you isolate parts of the house?" May asked him.

"What do you mean?" Paul inquired, his eyebrows knitting together.

"Well when I was alive I remember the house caught fire one night because of the bombs," May explained, "But the fire didn't spread when it should have."

"Fire," Paul and Dawn said at the same time.

"Of course," Paul went on, "There's enough gas in there to get a nice fire going."

"You're going to set the house on fire?" Gary asked, sounding unimpressed.

"I can contain it," Paul told him, "There may be some smoke but the fire won't spread."

"Erg…" Drew moaned, "Roasty toasty Mort? Being dead doesn't pay enough."

Vi tiptoed towards Ash's room. He'd been in a foul mood all day but she had to talk to him somehow. She knocked on his door timidly.

"Ash can I talk to you?" she asked.

"What do you want?" was the snotty reply she got back. With a sigh and some resignation of her fate, she stepped into the room and watched her step-brother's back move up and down as he packed some more things into his suitcase.

"Look, I just wanted to tell you that I want to stay a little longer," Vi said sadly, "I want to make sure the others are alright."

"They're ghosts," Ash snapped, "They'll be fine."

"Ash, please," Vi sighed. She put her hands on her hips and scowled across at her stupid step-brother. "Stop acting like a three year old. I'm upset about Gary too but what if he's still in danger? Him and Leaf could be, you know."

Ash paused as he placed a large book into his suitcase. His hands hovered over the suitcase for a few seconds then he let the book go. It dropped into the suitcase with a heavy thump noise.

"Vi…" Ash muttered, "I just want to get out of here."

"I do too," Vi agreed, "I keep expecting them to come back and be normal. It hurts, you know?"

"Yeah," Ash sighed.

"I've seen Dawn," Vi went on, "She said they're going to go after Mort."

"What good will it do now?" Ash asked, raising his voice. Vi flinched at his tone, wondering if she had said too much. She was just about to say that they deserved a nice happy afterlife but she caught the whiff of something burning. She looked round the room, confused suddenly.

"Do you smell that?" she asked. Ash turned round and nodded. Slowly he got to his feet and began sniffing round.

"There's a fire," he stated, "Come on."

Vi followed him down the hall towards one of the old rooms that none of them used. There was definitely a fire somewhere in the house but where? Ash stopped at a door and forced himself into the room on the other side.

The room was empty apart from Paul who was stood with his hands raised towards the wall opposite him. He had his eyes closed and seemed to be concentrating so much he didn't even realise he had an audience.

"Paul?" Ash barked, "What are you doing?"

Paul's eyes opened suddenly as he almost jumped. His focus soon returned to the fire on the other side of the wall. He had to ignore Ash and Vi just a while longer.

"What are you doing?" Ash repeated, "Why are you trying to burn the house down? Paul? Answer me!"

"Paul stop it," Vi joined in, "Please, stop."

"Paul?" Ash yelled.

Paul's eyes widened suddenly as a burst of smoke erupted from the wall.

"Damn," Paul hissed. He didn't spare the two teens a glanced but he addressed them. "Leave. This is…dangerous. Dawn?"

Dawn appeared from out of the floorboards and quickly raised her hands up to help Paul contain the fire. She yelped as she felt the force of the fire push against her powers.

"What is going on here?" Ash demanded, stamping his foot.

"Go…" Paul hissed.

"Away," Dawn finished for him in the same sort of strained voice he used.

"Not until you tell me what's going on," Ash barked. Paul's eyes slipped onto Dawn. She was struggling as much as he was to contain the fire in the room.

"Miscalculated… how much gas was… in there," Paul told her.

"No… kidding…" she replied.

"Someone," Paul yelled, "Get these two out of here!"

"Wait!" Ash shouted, "You haven't told us what's going on here?"

"Ash. Vi."

The two teens turned round to see Gary in the doorway with Leaf and May stood behind him. Leaf was biting her lip timidly like she didn't think this was a good idea.

"Gary?" Vi gasped, "You're… dead!"

"Well… Yeah," Gary laughed. He glanced behind the two seeing that Misty, Drew and Edmund were trying to help Dawn and Paul as much as they could without getting in the way.

"I mean… I knew you were dead but… You know… You're not dead, dead… Erm… You're a ghost," Vi said quickly. Her mouth was moving before her brain had time to piece together full sentences. Gary chuckled at her.

"Gary? You're still here?" Ask asked.

"Yup," Gary replied, "I'll tell you everything you want to know but… We have to let those two concentrate, OK?"

"I'll help them," May said, jumping up into the air and flying towards her friends. Gary gestured for Vi and Ash to follow him and he led them into the corridor. Leaf hovered behind Gary as Vi and Ash crowded round him.

"You're alright though," Vi said, "You're really alright?"

"Yup," Gary replied, "I'm better than ever."

"How can you be so calm about this?" Ash snapped. Gary and Leaf looked at each other before they burst into laughter.

"Man, Dawn wasn't kidding when she said you'd gone all serious," Gary laughed.

"It doesn't suit you at all, Ash," Leaf giggled. Vi found herself smiling as the two ghosts laughed at her step-brother. Ash folded his arms and pouted.

"So what's going on?" he asked.

"Well," Gary said, trying to find the right words to explain the situation, "They found a body in a hidden room so Paul and Dawn are getting rid of it."

"A body?" Vi squeaked, jumping into Ash and grabbing his arm.

"Mort's," Leaf explained, "So we decided to try and limit his powers we should get rid of it. So Dawn started a fire in the room and Paul tried to contain it, but I think there's a problem. There must have been more gas in there than Paul thought. I mean, we can't tell, we're dead."

"OK," Ash said slowly.

"And we decided to do it now rather than when we found the body three days ago," Gary added.

"You found it three days ago?" Vi asked, "And you didn't say anything to us?"

"Well…" Gary trialled off suddenly, "We didn't expect you to hang around here, you see."

"But now we should go," Leaf said, "Paul thinks that once Mort realises what we've done, he'll get mad and attack."

"And that would accomplish?" Ash asked. Leaf and Gary glanced at each other again and nodded. They weren't going to tell Ash or Vi the plan just in case.

"You should evacuate," Leaf told Ash, "Just in case the fire does spread."

"I'll go tell mum and dad," Vi agreed. She ran down the corridor, yelling as loud as she could. Ash slowly turned and followed her, pausing to stare at Leaf and Gary for a split second. They were up to something.

"Man I hate tricking them like this," Gary said, rubbing his head slightly. Leaf nodded in agreement. They stood watching as Vi and Ash disappeared down a staircase, both yelling for their parents.

Paul phased through the wall looking quite tired but otherwise fine, causing the youngest ghosts to jump slightly. Paul looked around the corridor and nodded once.

"When they're going to leave, stop them," Paul said, "I'll lock the house up."

"Are you sure this is going to work?" Gary asked.

"It better do," came Drew's voice as his head popped through the wall, "Fire's out. No more body."

"Good," Paul said with a nod, "Now let's move."

"AH!" Paul's eyes widened as he recognised that scream.

"Dawn," he breathed. He turned to Leaf and Gary. "Hurry up. It's started."

"Right," Leaf and Gary said at the same time. They raced through the house to make sure Ash and Vi remained behind. Paul turned to Drew now.

"Shouldn't we rush off to help them?" Drew asked but Paul shook his head. A wave of concern washed over Drew's features as he stared at Paul. Paul had tensed, his hands in tight fists as he heard Dawn yelp once more.

"Come on," Paul growled, "I have full confidence that they'll be alright."

"If it helps any," Drew said with a smirk and tapping his head with his finger, "Misty says you're a jerk."

Paul's eyes twinkled with amusement for a second but he soon turned round and zoomed off into the distance. Drew nodded and flew off in the opposite direction.

"Alright," Harold said as he threw his coat over his shoulders, "The fire brigade are coming. We should wait outside."

"Good idea," Delia agreed as she zipped up her purple mackintosh. She grabbed Harold's hand and dragged him to the front door with Ash and Vi not far behind them. Vi gripped onto Ash's arm tightly as they walked out of the house. It all could be destroyed in the next few hours. Then what would happen to the ghosts?

"Ash," Gary called just as Vi and Ash were about to leave the house. They both stopped and turned to face Gary. He was stood in the centre of the entrance hall with his hands in his pockets, smile on his face.

"Come on you two!" Harold yelled from outside.

"Remember when I first came here?" Gary asked, "I passed out right there."

He pointed to a spot on the floor close to where Ash and Vi were stood.

"Ash! Vi! Come on!" Delia screamed.

"Gary?" Ash asked, "What are you doing?"

"It's called a distraction," Gary replied.

There was a loud scream coming from inside the house. It sounded like Dawn's voice.

"It's started," Gary said, "And we need your help."

"Dawn said that," Vi muttered, "They're in trouble."

"Will you help us one final time?" Gary asked. Ash and Vi looked at each other. Ash could see that his step-sister's eyes were blazing with determination. She nodded once at him.

"We will," Ash replied. Gary smiled.

Then the doors slammed shut. Delia and Harold twirled round as they heard the heavy doors close. A second later, panic set in. Delia ran back up to the house and tried to open the door. It was no use, the door was stuck shut. Harold hurried over to help her out but not even he could open the door either.

"Vi! Ash!" Delia screamed, "Vi! Ash!"

"There's nothing we can do," Harold muttered, "But pray they'll be alright."

"Who?" Delia asked, tears pouring from her eyes as she looked at her husband. Harold stepped back from the door.

"All of them," he replied. A pause followed as both of them stared up at the house.

"I hope they'll be alright," Delia muttered.

**So what's going to happen now? Well, you've got one chapter to find out ^_^ I feel as though I may get some complaints at the next chapter though, but what's new there? I need to re-read that I think to make sure it's as epic as I can possibly make it!**

**Ooo, also, there's a poll on my profile for people who may read The Puppet Master if you could kindly take the time to read and vote ^_^ Damn plot fairy strikes again!**

**Please review!**

**RSx**


	49. The Final Stand

**Erg, I have had a stressful week T_T Firstly, on Monday, I lost my phone with all my contacts which meant I lost out on an interview for my coursework which is in on Sunday. Then I've been bogged down trying to create 6 newspaper pages, 5 of which I have to fill with articles I've found myself from my sleepy little village *pants*. It's been a nightmare O.O**

**Anyway, here's the second to last chapter of Harmony of White Roses. Sorry if it's not as good as you expect but right now I'm far too tired and stressed to change it T_T**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, not even a phone. On the plus side, I do have two new SIM cards…**

**Chapter Forty-Nine: The Final Stand**

Dawn screamed once more as Mort shot an attack at her. She fell from the air and landed in a heap on the floor. She quickly scrambled to her feet but before she could get airborne again, Mort was right in front of her. She had no back up. All the others had retreated back. May was hurt and Edmund was worried about her. So she was alone in the ballroom with no one but Mort. She had to think fast to stall time.

"So," Mort said darkly, "What possessed you to destroy my body?"

"Check," Dawn replied.

"Oh," Mort said, "You think this is a game? Tell me, why has Paul sent in his queen when all of his other little pieces could be put into play."

"I have no idea," Dawn replied, "I've never played chess before."

"Really?" Mort questioned but it was more of a statement than a question. Dawn stared up at him wondering what he was going to do now. Surely if he was going to hurt her then he would have done it by now.

"You should be thanking us," Dawn said.

"Whatever for?" Mort snapped.

"You were stinking up that room good and proper," Dawn replied, folding her arms and frowning. She hated the way her tone suddenly returned to the one she used to adopt while in the workhouse. "You don't want to be known as the Ghost Lord with a smelly house, now do you?"

"Ghost Lord?" Mort repeated, "You really think I've done all this to become some sort of Ghost Lord? Bah. You're as stupid as you appear to be."

"Well," Dawn said blinking slowly, "I am merely a female-" she began to step round Mort with her hands round her back "- And I am not meant to think am I? All the sophisticated women were never known for their knowledge. No. It was more about poise and beauty, right?"

She paused to smile at Mort. Paul was going to kill her for this. She stepped into Mort and slowly stroked his chest with her fingers.

"Real women know which men to pledge their allegiance too, right?" she went on slowly, looking up at Mort through her eye lashes, "The strongest, most handsome and feared man, right?"

"You would turn against Paul?" Mort asked, "His little wench has turned against him, has she?"

"Hey," Dawn snapped, "I am not a wench."

She shoved Mort away from her roughly. He laughed as she pushed him away but his laughter was soon cut off as a strong gust of wind knocked him onto the floor. Dawn turned round to see Paul floating down into the room. He looked mildly annoyed as he landed next to Dawn.

"Did you really have to do that?" he asked.

"Hey, it was either that or get my butt kicked," Dawn replied, folding her arms, "I would prefer not to be tossed around a room by an insane person."

"So the happy couple is reunited," Mort laughed as he got to his feet. He stood up and glared across at Paul. "Well, when I say you have good choice in your lovers, I mean it."

"Partners," Paul corrected Mort. Paul grasped Dawn's hand in his, holding her tightly. Dawn turned into Paul, wrapping her arms round Paul's waist.

"So where are the rest of your puppets, Paul?" Mort asked, "Do you really think that you can take me?"

"That's the idea," Paul replied. He closed his eyes and slowly nodded. Out of the walls phased the six other ghosts. Drew and May floated down to the floor together, May hanging onto Drew's arm in fear. Opposite Dawn and Paul, Gary and Leaf walked into the room. They paused for a second before Gary put a hand on Leaf's back and pushed her further forward. Lastly Edmund and Misty appeared through the floor. They were holding hands. Mort looked round the circle that they had formed around him, eying each on carefully as they spoke to him.

"We should thank you, I guess," Drew said, "If it weren't for you then we would have never met each other."

"Whether it's our partners," Misty said.

"Or the people we love," May added.

"If it weren't for you then none of us would be here," Edmund went on.

"You took us away from our families and friends," Gary snapped.

"And in return gave us something more," Dawn said softly.

"Something better than life," Leaf concluded.

"But now we've come to the end of your tyranny, Mort," Paul said, "Tonight we end this."

"You're right about that, Paul," Mort laughed, "And to think I had a whole plan to get you eight in the same room when you so willingly walked into a trap."

"Really?" Paul asked calmly. His eyes darted round the circle. Everyone looked a tiny bit worried but that was natural.

Mort raised his hand, making an eerie glow form round his hand. For a few seconds nothing happened but then there was a loud clang and the golden orb they had found a while back. May squealed and buried her cheek into Drew's arm.

"Thanks for finding this for me, Paul," Mort taunted, "It saved me a job. And there's a full moon too. Wow, you eight have really helped me out."

"Paul?" Dawn muttered, "What should we do now?"

"Relax," Paul whispered back to her, "Everything's going to plan."

"Right," Dawn sighed, "Somehow I liked this plan better before we were doing it."

"Just concentrate," Paul told her softly, "And everything will be alright."

"Right," Dawn said with a nod.

Mort held the orb up into the air. The moon instantly hit the gold surface and began to reflect the beams all around the room. Slowly the beams got brighter and brighter until the whole orb was glowing. Mort began laughing loudly.

"This is it," he yelled, "After all this time I will get my revenge!"

Paul grimaced as the light got too bright for him. He hugged Dawn tightly into his body.

"Now everyone!" Paul yelled. Mort frowned, wondering what they were going to do. There was very little they could actually do right now. They were blinded by the light and soon they would return to what they should be: nothing.

"OK," Drew yelled, "Now I'm starting to feel a bit tingly."

"Me too!" May wailed.

"Hold on," Paul shouted back, "Hang on to every bit of yourself."

"That's easier said than done," Misty barked back.

The light subsided suddenly as if it had been switched off. Paul and Dawn fell to their knees, holding each other tightly. Across from them Leaf and Gary were in the same sort of position. Leaf was hanging onto his neck while he held her tightly. To the left, Drew had his arm round May, both gripping each other with as much energy as they could muster. To the right, Edmund and Misty were squeezing each others hands in an almost painful way.

In the centre of the circle stood Mort. He was stood on the floor his hands raised high. He was cackling evilly to himself as he lowered his hands and threw the orb onto the floor.

"Finally, after all these years," he laughed, "I am back. Finally, I can breathe again."

To prove a point he inhaled deeply and let it out straight away. He laughed once more as he looked round the circle.

"You'll be gone momentarily," he told them, "Now I have your lives and your powers."

"Really?" Paul asked, grimacing as he raised his head up, "Care to try that?"

"This is going to hurt, isn't it?" Dawn muttered weakly.

"Yup," Paul replied.

Mort raised his hand and shot a strong gust of wind in the pair's direction. With a cry of pain, Paul and Dawn landed on their backs, Paul still managing to hang onto Dawn. The others glanced up as they heard their friends yelp in pain, although none of them could don a thing to help. All their energy was gone along with their powers. Mort had stolen it from them. All they could do now was try to hang on until Vi and Ash did something to reverse it. Edmund glanced around to see where the teens were but they had yet to appear.

Mort admired his hands for a few seconds, liking the way they were solid again. He was no longer transparent like he had been, he was flesh and blood once again. He glanced down at the ghosts with an expression of deepest distain and loathing on his face.

"Such a pity," Mort said, "I was hoping to tear you limb from limb."

"Hold it right there you purple haired weirdo."

Mort turned round in an almost bored way to see that Ash and Vi were stood on the balcony. Although they looked absolutely terrified, Mort could tell these two teens meant business.

"Well, if it isn't the teenagers who I didn't manage to polish off," Mort greeted them, "Tell me, do you like my new body. A hundred percent human you know."

"He's alive?" Vi asked.

"Yes, I am quite alive," Mort replied, "And more powerful than you'll ever know."

"Ash look out!" Vi screamed as Mort raised his hand. Ash ducked just as a blade of air whisked past him. He fell into Vi, pushing her into the wall. Slowly his eyes traced the rope of the chandelier that hung over the dance floor. Right over Mort. Quickly Ash turned round and began laughing.

"Is that it?" Ash asked, "That's all your power?"

Paul glanced up at Ash wondering what Ash was going on about. His eyes surveyed the hall until he realised what was going on. With a heavy groan he pushed himself onto his knees, bringing Dawn with him.

"We need to get our powers back before we disappear," Paul said loud enough so all the ghosts could hear him. Thankfully, Paul thought, Mort wasn't paying attention because he was too busy with Ash. "Focus on your powers and everything that keeps you here so you can pull your powers back. Wait for the signal."

"What ever do you mean?" Mort barked at Ash, "All my power."

"Oh come on," Ash laughed, "You claim to have all this power and you missed me. You missed. That's pathetic."

"Pathetic?" Mort snapped.

"Ash, what are you doing?" Vi hissed from her place on the floor.

"Stay there," Ash muttered to her, "I have a plan."

He let out another laugh.

"Please, you couldn't hit me if I stood still for you," Ash went on, "Come on, I'll give you a free shot."

"Really?" Mort asked, not buying it.

"Yeah," Ash replied, "I will not move from this spot. If you hit me then I'm dead."

"Ash!" Vi snapped.

"And if not then I was right," Ash went on, ignoring his step-sister, "Or are you too scared to try me?"

"On my signal," Paul told the others in a hushed whisper.

Mort let out a roar on anger, sending another blade of wind towards Ash. Ash stood, seemingly paralysed, on the spot. At the last second he ducked. Instead of killing Ash like Mort had planned, the attack hit the wall where the chandelier brace was. The whole thing snapped in two and made the heavy gold chandelier drop.

Mort laughed. With all his power, he could stop that chandelier. It was pointless to try such a stupid thing.

"Now!" Paul yelled. Mort turned his head to Paul. All the ghosts were on their feet. For a fleeting second nothing happened, apart from the chandelier falling closer to the floor.

Suddenly Mort felt a strange tugging sensation at his body. It felt like his entire body was twitching. Fully aware of the danger he was in, he raised his hands up to destroy the chandelier but nothing happened. The tugging sensation got harder and harder until it physically hurt him. He let out a strangled yell, his eyes widening as the chandelier continued its descent.

"_Really, I don't like this plan," May said shivering._

"_It's the only way to defeat Mort," Paul told them, "While outside I realised that Mort is all powerful in this house. He's probably thinking of a way to become human again and if he turns human, he'll want an advantage."_

"_Such as?" Drew asked._

"_It's always bugged me that there are eight of us," Gary said suddenly, "Could that be something to do with it?"_

"_Exactly," Paul said, "He needs eight points of energy to turn into a human and retain his powers."_

"_So what should we do?" Misty asked, "We could walk out to the boundary and end it all."_

"_But then he'd just start again," Paul replied, "We need to deal with the problem at the source."_

"_You mean Mort?" Leaf guessed. Paul nodded. He looked round the circle at the grave faces of his friends. None of them looked entirely convinced at what they had heard so far. _

"_So the plan is to wait until the next full moon, let Mort drain all our powers so he's human again so that Ash and Vi can stop him," Edmund said slowly, "That's risky."_

"_It is," Paul admitted, "But we have no other choice. If Mort is mortal then we have a much better chance of stopping him."_

"_What will happen to us?" Dawn asked suddenly, "If we're drained then we'll disappear."_

"_That's true," Paul replied with a nod, "But I know how we can stop that. Each of us has a bond with another. If we separate into those bonds then we can use that to stop fading into nothing."_

"_Like the bond you share with Dawn," Leaf said, "Cos you two are in love with each other."_

"_Like Drew and May; Gary and Leaf; and Edmund and Misty," Paul said, ignoring the 'in love' comment while Dawn blushed slightly. Instantly there was an uproar of the ghosts yelling they didn't love the person Paul had just paired them with. Paul floated backwards a little, hands raised._

"_You all have bonds though," Dawn said in defence of her partner, "Like Gary and Leaf are like Paul and I. Drew and May like each other. A lot. Then Edmund and Misty… You're both the parent figures."_

"_I suppose so," Misty said, blushing slightly as she glanced at Edmund. He nodded a few times in agreement. _

"_So the bond will be stronger in those pairs," Edmund said, "Like minded people anchored into the house. Sounds like a plan."_

"_There is another catch though," Paul went on, "I have no idea what will happen to us after Mort dies. We could come back or we could disappear. For all I know we could end up in China."_

"_Tough choice," Drew commented._

_The circle fell silent, leaving Paul to look round at everyone's worried faces. Paul noted their worried expressions as he stood in front of them. May glanced round the circle to see what the other people were feeling. Gary was stood with his arms folded over his chest. Leaf was floating above them in a thinking pose. Misty and Drew were stood next to each other, staring at the other as if they were in the middle of a silent conversation. Edmund was the only one who looked impressed by the suggestion._

_"I'm in," he said brightly, "You have thought this through, Paul."_

_There was a brief discussion about the family and how they could make Vi and Ash stay. Finally Dawn nodded to herself, ready to give her partner her full support. _

_"I'm in," Dawn sighed._

_"Me too," Drew said, "After all… I have nothing else to do."_

_"Count me in too, then," Misty said, "I can't leave my partner now, can I?"_

_"Leaf? Gary? May?" Paul asked, looking over at the remaining three ghosts. Leaf landed on the floor beside Gary, still thinking about what she should do. They looked at each other, communicating like Drew and Misty had briefly._

_"I'm in," Gary replied._

_"Yeah, we have to stop Mort," Leaf agreed with a nod of her head. Now everyone turned to look at May._

_"Of course I'm in," May snapped, "This is my home and you're my friends. I can't let some whacko push us around, can I?"_

_"Thank you, May," Paul said._

_"So, how do we begin?" Edmund asked, "Going into a fight head on is not a good idea."_

_"Have any of you played chess before?"_

Ash grasped Vi tightly as he heard the chandelier hit the floor.

"Did we get him?" Vi asked not a second later.

The teens raced to their feet and bounded over to the edge of the balcony. Ignoring the chandelier, they gazed over the floor for their ghostly friends. There was no one there. The entire room was empty but for them and the fallen chandelier. Mort was no more either, buried somewhere underneath the glass and gold frame. Only the tell tale sign of crimson told them what had happened to the evil man.

Vi shook Ash's arm suddenly.

"Ash? They're gone," Vi cried, "Where are they? Where are they?"

"I… I don't know," Ash replied, his stomach dropping. Vi dropped onto her knees and began crying loudly.

"They can't be gone, not now!" she wailed. Ash swallowed loudly before he dropped to his knees. They were gone. They were really gone…

**So the final chapter is the next chapter. Please don't kill me… I've got work to do!**

**Please leave me a review… ish. Now I'm going to sleep. Night…**

**RSx**


	50. The Epilogue

**So after the week of many stresses, here is one of the things that have kept me going. **

**This is the last chapter of Harmony of White Roses and I'm afraid to say there will not be a sequel .**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Chapter Fifty: The Epilogue**

The house had not changed in over two decades apart from the usual wear and tear of been left alone for so long. Compared to most abandoned houses this one was in a rather good shape as if someone had been looking after it for the owners but there was no sign of anyone passing through the land. The house was still locked up tightly from the outside world until now.

Rose stood at the bottom of a grand stair case staring up into the dim hallway with wonder and amazement all at the same time. She had heard the stories about this house from her family but she never dreamed that she would be here.

It had been five years since her father's death in that freak car accident and now the house had passed to her uncle since her mother no longer wanted it. Rose was on her way to boarding school but she couldn't resist stopping at this old house, breaking the lock and exploring. So many things had happened here, none of which could be explained and it intrigued her.

Slowly she stepped towards the stairs and climbed up to the first floor, her eyes darting around this way then that to take in as much as she could. She tripped on the final step, almost falling all the way down the stairs if it wasn't for a hand grabbing her wrist.

Her eyes and head snapped up to she who her rescuer was but there was nothing there. Rose frowned as she got to her feet. She dusted her school uniform down. This place sure was dusty, she thought.

The soft sound of a music box drifted from one of the near by rooms. With a slight pause Rose followed it, her curiosity peaked to no end. She opened one of the heavy oak doors a little way down the corridor and peered in. There was nobody there only a small wooden music box sat on a wooden table in the centre of the room.

The room was a library with hundreds of books on the shelves. This place seemed less dusty than the others, it was brighter than the other rooms too. Sunlight shone through two large windows which overlooked the gardens. While the small box chimed to an unknown tune, Rose walked to the windows and looked out on the garden. It was so beautiful here despite all the plants being overgrown and the rooms being dusty.

"I told you," Drew said to Paul, "There is a girl here."

"I see that," Paul said dryly.

"She's Vi's daughter," May said happily, "Look at her, she's exactly like Vi."

"I can see that too," Paul replied earning him a laugh from Leaf and Misty.

"She slipped on the stairs," Dawn commented.

"We don't need anymore proof that she's Vi's daughter, Dawn," Paul said to his partner, looking at her with a smirk on his face. She elbowed him in the ribs in retaliation.

"Look at her," Gary said, "They're still out there."

"Yeah," Edmund agreed, "Living life and going about their day like normal people."

"It's a joy to know," Misty said. Everyone agreed with various tones of 'yes' and 'yeah' apart from Paul who merely nodded. They stood watching Rose as she walked round the library. She looked at everything she could, touching trinkets that had been left on the sides and the spines of books.

"Wow," she said, "I never expected this place to be like this. It's so pretty."

"Can she see us?" Misty asked Paul. Paul shrugged. He floated up to a portrait that hung over the door. The glass on the frame was dusty but Paul didn't seem to care. With one finger he wrote a message in the dust then rattled the picture to get Rose's attention.

She span round, her eyes looking every place until they stopped on the portrait. She walked closer to the picture, her mouth slightly open, her eyes wide. As she read the message her mouth turned into a smile, a really happy smile.

"So you are real," she said, "Paul? Dawn? Leaf? Gary? You're all here aren't you? May, Misty, Edmund and the green haired one."

"Drew! The name is DREW!" Drew yelled loudly but Rose didn't hear him. She was too busy rummaging through her bag for her camera phone so she could snap a picture of the portrait with the message on it. The phone clicked as it captured the image. Rose smiled at the picture fondly.

For no reason at all she held the phone up again as if she was going to take another picture then she turned round, still looking at the screen. She almost jumped back when seven people appeared on the screen looking fairly confused at her actions but she had no cause to be scared. She smiled to herself.

She looked up from the camera as she dropped her phone back into her pocket. At first it didn't register but then her eyes widened.

"What she doing now?" Drew asked in a loud whisper. Rose bit her lip and looked round to see Paul floating to the floor with perfect poise. He looked up from the floor, staring straight into Rose's eyes.

"Hello," he said.

"Um… Hi," she replied nervously.

"She can see us," Drew gasped. Paul rolled his eyes as Rose giggled loudly. Misty and May looked at each other before they pushed Drew through the wall, causing Rose to giggle even more. While May and Misty exchanged smug smiles and the other three laughed heartily, Dawn floated down to join Paul by his side. He greeted her by slipping an arm round her waist.

"You're all real," Rose said, "You really are."

Paul nodded while Dawn smiled. Rose put a hand to her head.

"Oh my… This is incredible. Just wait until I tell mom that I've seen you," Rose exclaimed.

"Oh please don't," Dawn said hurriedly.

"What Dawn means is…" Paul paused to think, "Tell her about the message but don't tell her you can see us. She'll probably worry."

"Why?" Rose asked.

"She'll probably worry about you coming here far too often," Paul replied, "Don't do that to her."

"Fine," Rose said, crossing a finger across her heart, "I promise never to tell."

"Sorry, but what's your name?" Dawn asked.

"Rose. Rose Shinji," Rose replied, "I kept my mother's maiden name."

Paul and Dawn looked at each other with mild surprise on their faces. They glanced over to the other ghosts who were smiling too. Drew phased back through the wall, dusting off his jacket.

"How sweet," Dawn said to Paul, "A nice homage."

"Vi was always the sentimental one," Paul stated, "But a nice thought."

"Why is my name so important?" Rose asked, tilting her head to the side.

"It's nothing," Paul told her, "Now you should probably be on your way, Rose. You don't want to worry your mother by being late, do you?"

"I suppose not," Rose said with an eye roll far too similar to Paul's for comfort. Dawn giggled again as Rose turned to look at the others but they had disappeared. When Rose turned back to Paul and Dawn they had gone too.

In the distance she heard the horn of the car toot. The driver was getting agitated by waiting for her. With a last look around she rushed out of the room, down the stairs and into the large hallway where the front door was. She stopped at the bottom of the stairs, her hand resting on the banister. All the way up the wood, carved beautifully, were roses painted white. Rose smiled at them.

"Oh," she muttered, "Of course. The harmony of white roses. Mum told me about that."

She looked up the stairs one final time as the car horn blew out again.

"Good bye!" Rose yelled, "Take care!"

When Rose looked back out of the car window as the car sped down the drive back to the main road, she smiled happily. The old Shinji Manor may be abandoned but it wasn't empty nor would it ever be. It may be overgrown and dusty but that place was special, not the house itself but the residents inside it. As Rose turned around and settled in her seat, she continued to smile. Comforted in the knowledge that one day she would return to Shinji Manor. Maybe. Definitely. No matter how long it was.

Yes, one day she would return…

**The End**

**Thanks to xPinkSunshinex, Etoile of the twilight, splitheart1120, Horselover and Anon person for reviewing chapter 39.**

**And thank you to: splitheart1120, LuckyTigger, RaveOn21turned23, DarkAngel, AikoAkahana, AnimexLuver4Ever, Foxgrl18, an anonymous reviewer, lightwolfheart, lolol, Livin'OnAPrayer, True Fan, Starfire1407, AnimeLuver4evaHellyeah, bloodriver101, Storm Dryu, IgglybuffPichuandOrcha3000, TheMomeRaths, Miyako Sumihara, OffMyTea, XJessicaLeighX18**, **ninetailsgirl94, BluBluBla, Kira Clearwater, Luna-of-Black-Roses, Jiaohua de yi, lonewolfgirl-sademo588, Lynx of the Sand, lanamere, TheEvilShuppetMaster, SushiLuver25, treatybirdcage, Lizard Lover, ****Goldengal12,** **vaporeongirl2011, AnimeandMangaLover16, DevilAngel8, ****Angelic Sakura Blossom, Dark Queen, Anon52, seany96, PokegalAngella, IkariFTW, maddiepink5, Awesome me, thedarkone78, , FairoNeko, greenmonkey24, xPinkSunshinex, CamiKlaus24-7, Horselover and anyone I may have forgotten. You've been great readers! Thank you all.**

**RSx**


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